A Sentence Was Announced for Five Jehovah's Witnesses in Perm. Believers Received From 2.5 to 7 Years of Suspended Imprisonment for Believing in God

On May 12, 2021 the Industrial District Court of Perm found Igor Turik, Boris Burylov, Aleksandr Inozemtsev, Viktor Kuchkov and Yuriy Vaag guilty of extremist activity. Igor Turik was sentenced to seven years of suspended imprisonment; the other four received 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment each.

Although there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence them to 4 to 9 years in a penal colony. They were accused of crimes under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity), Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist community) and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code (financing of extremist activities). Judge Viktor Podyniglazov reclassified the charges against Boris Burylov and Viktor Kuchkov to a milder article, Article 282.2 part 2 of the Criminal Code.

The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.

Igor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov spent 3 days in the temporary detention facility in Perm, 101 days under house arrest, and also more than 2 years under recognizance not to leave. Alexandr Inozemtsev, Yuriy Vaag and Boris Burylov were under recognizance not to leave for more than two and a half years. The case of Turik and others in Perm was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Perm Territory. On December 4, 2020, it was transferred to the Industrial District Court of Perm.

Before the criminal prosecution, a native of the Tver region, 52-year-old Igor Turik successfully worked as a photographer and architectural designer. He is a loving husband and father of two minor children. He notes: “The Perm news TV channels were reporting on the FSB special operation from the courtroom as well. This news had a negative impact on my employers. I lost my main customers, and, accordingly, my earnings ... I could not get insurance for a car, I could not use bank cards. To get a package for my family from Germany, I had to call the FSB, Rosfinmonitoring, customs. "

In his last word, Igor said: “My children, whom I have always taught to be good, to be honest, to respect the views of other people who are growing up as wonderful citizens, treat their parents and society with deep respect, wonder why now they want to be separated from their father. You would know what I was 25 years ago, before I became Jehovah's Witness. That's when I needed to be held accountable. I have completely changed because of my relationship with God. Previously, in my hometown, neighbors were shocked only when they saw me. Until recently, they were shocked that the truth can change a person for the better. And now they are shocked that I am facing such a monstrous term. "

The total length of service of the oldest of the 5 defendants in the case - 80-year-old Boris Burylov - is 45 years, during which he was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and gratitude. In his last speech, the believer noted: “I did not bring about any destabilization in society. I did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system and state security by any actions. All this magnificent bouquet of unreliable and unconfirmed accusations was collected in different years from unknown sources, and not only the city of Perm, but also other cities of Russia, in which I have never been. […] Jehovah's Witnesses, including myself, are benevolent, hardworking, God-fearing, peace-loving people. We treat all state authorities with respect. "

48-year-old Aleksandr Inozemtsev, together with his wife, is raising a minor daughter. Speaking with the last word, he drew the court's attention to how important the divine services were for him, the attendance of which was imputed to him: “This is my need. Communication with fellow believers helps me become even better and show such qualities as love, kindness, compassion, the ability to show self-control, tact towards others. Therefore, they speak of me as a polite and tactful person, which is confirmed by the characteristics provided to the court and attached to the case materials. "

The wife and daughter of 53-year-old Viktor Kuchkov do not share his religious views, but they fully support the head of the family, shocked by the absurdity of the charges against him. In his last word to the court, the believer emphasized: “Reading the Bible and praying to strengthen your relationship with God is not bad. Meeting with fellow believers to discuss the wonderful qualities of our Creator and further imitate him is not extremism. Sharing knowledge of our heavenly Father with others is not a crime, but a realization of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. ”

The son of parents exiled on ethnic grounds - a 45-year-old husband and father of 2 adult children, Yuriy Vaag - met in Siberia with Jehovah's Witnesses, who were also sent into exile for their faith and later rehabilitated. “These are people who have kept the faith despite the persecution they faced,” the believer noted in his last speech. “I was struck by their faith, despite the harsh conditions, they helped others to survive. […] I am glad that I have become a believer, because it benefits both me and others. "

In total, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith in the Perm Territory. All of them did not stop practicing their religion after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, for which they faced severe persecution and religious discrimination. Meanwhile, Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows one to freely choose and practice any religion, both independently and jointly with others.

The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses "do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually." In February 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.