The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye

An operational-search event "Observation" is being conducted, during which audio recordings are made of discussions of the Bible by Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova with a serviceman.

Lyubov Kocherova's phone and laptop are seized.

Lieutenant Colonel A. I. Grishkevich, a senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, seconded to the interdistrict Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Okrug, initiates a criminal case against Lyubov Kocherova. He suspects the woman of committing a crime under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, for two years she "involved [citizen M.] through persuasion and persuasion into the activities of the cell of the international religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses." This is how the investigation interprets the woman's peaceful conversations about the Bible with one of the villagers.

Lyubov Kocherova is interrogated as a suspect. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows her not to testify against herself and her loved ones.

The case of Lyubov Kocherova is combined into one proceeding with the case of Lyubov Ovchinnikova.

The apartment of Lyubov Kocherova and her husband is being examined. Law enforcement officers seize the Holy Scriptures.

Investigator Grishkevich involves Lyubov Kocherova as an accused. The ruling states that they "jointly and in concert with Ovchinnikova ... committed deliberate acts of persuading, recruiting and otherwise involving persons in the activities of an extremist organization and took part in its activities."

The indictment states that religious meetings were held with the participation of Kocherova, Ovchinnikova and other persons. collectively sang religious songs, prayers... Questions were asked on religious topics related to... with an understanding of the Bible, there were calls to read and discuss articles on religious topics."

The case of Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova goes to the Khabarovsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It will be considered by Angelina Sviderskaya.

State prosecutor Ekaterina Trofimenko requests 6 years of real imprisonment in a colony for Ovchinnikova and Kocherova.

Believers deliver the last word.

The retrial of the case of Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova begins. It was appointed to Judge Kira Kirina.

The defense files a motion to return the case to the prosecutor due to the absence of victims in the case, as well as evidence of guilt. Kocherova also asks the court to join their case with the case of Valery Rabota. The court rejected both motions.

The prosecutor reads out the charges, after which the interrogation of witnesses begins. The first to be interrogated is A. Kocherov, the wife of Lyubov Kocherova. The witness declares that he was sick at the time of giving the written testimony, so he refuses it.

The head of the FSB department , Gvardeev, is being interrogated. He says that in 2019 he received a message from an embedded FSB agent Stanislav Martyn that they were talking to him on biblical topics. After that, the believers were monitored and subsequently the information was transferred to the Investigative Committee.

Prosecution witness Romanov explains that Lyubov Kocherova is the wife of his colleague, and he knows Ovchinnikova only outwardly. Romanov cannot confirm whether the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses held services after the liquidation of their legal entities in 2017.

Another witness says that she has friendly relations with Ovchinnikova and Kocherova. According to the woman, shortly before the interrogation, she underwent eye surgery and could not see well. However, the interrogation protocol was not read to her, and she signed it, trusting the investigator.

FSB operative A.A. Ogienko is being interrogated, who forced Kocherov to introduce his wife, Lyubov Kocherova, to Martyn. Martyn's recorded conversations about the Bible were submitted for examination to a religious scholar, who concluded that the topics discussed were characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses. When asked by the lawyer whether the defendants had talked about the Bible with other people, the witness answered in the negative.

Stanislav Martyn is being interrogated. He states that he knew A. Kocherov at work; In the fall of 2019, he asked him to give driving lessons to his wife. According to him, during the classes they talked several times with Lyubov about the Bible, after which he turned to the FSB and began to record their conversations.

Despite the defense's objections, the court granted the prosecutor's request to listen to the recording of the divine service from the case of Valery Rabota. It features a biblical talk about the positive impact of the Bible on a person's life.

The hearing was attended by 25 people who came to support Kocherova and Ovchinnikova.

The interrogation of the former investigator A. Kozlov, who initiated a criminal case against Lyubov Kocherova, is taking place.

Another prosecution witness, Firsov, does not appear in court. Prosecutor E. Trofimenko asks to read out his written testimony, but the defense objects, as it doubts its objectivity.

The judge interrogates the defendants. Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova make written notes and express their disagreement with the accusations. It is recalled that the constitutional right to freedom of religion cannot be a crime. They also draw attention to the fact that they have never been members of the banned legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and the very fact of this ban does not deprive them of the right to read the Bible privately.

The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the women to 6 years in a penal colony.

Defenders of believers draw the court's attention to the fact that the man, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, communicated with the defendants voluntarily, no pressure was exerted on him. They also emphasize the lack of evidence of the use of banned literature by believers. According to the lawyers, Kocherov and Ovchinnikova simply discussed the Bible with friends, without in any way undermining the foundations of the state system and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The defendants make their final statement, emphasizing that they are on trial for reading and discussing the Bible.