Unjust Verdicts

Appeal in Ussuriysk Approved the Conviction of Vitaliy Ilinykh—a Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible

Primorye Territory

On July 28, 2022, the Primorye Regional Court, presided over by Judge Anna Chernenko, upheld the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Vitaliy Ilyinykh. For his belief in God, he was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.

The decision of the lower court adopted in April 2022 came into force—Vitaliy Ilyinykh was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended sentence with a two-year probationary period. The prosecutor asked for a longer suspended sentence—4 years. The believer insists on his complete innocence and can file a cassation appeal.

Vitaliy Ilinykh and his mother, Olga Opaleva, have been persecuted for their faith since 2019. The Ilinykhs' house was searched twice, after the second one Vitaliy spent 2 days in the temporary detention center. Recalling those events, the believer said: “The hardest thing was to realize that the ‘calm’ life was over.” The criminal prosecution deprived Vitaliy Ilinykh of the opportunity to fully take care of his mother. He also faced financial difficulties due to the blocking of his accounts.

In total, 41 Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their faith in Primorye Territory, more than in any other subject of the Russian Federation. Among those charged with extremism are 87-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 74-year-old Lyudmila Shut and 79-year-old Vladimir Filippov.

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from discussing biblical issues in the circle of fellow believers or other persons and thus performing worship services. This constitutional right is reserved for every citizen of the country, however, more than 630 Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of Russia have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith.

Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk

Case History
Vitaliy Ilinykh, a former police officer, overcame bad habits through his study of the Bible. However, for wanting to share his faith with others, he, following his mother, [Olga Opaleva] (/en/prisoners/opaleva.html), found himself under the yoke of criminal prosecution. Searches of the Ilinykhs took place twice: in February and October 2019. The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory, E. S. Marvanyuk, opened a criminal case against Vitaly Ilyinykh, charging him with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later mitigated the charge to participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Hearings in the Ussuriysk District Court began in December 2020 under the chairmanship of Judge Tatyana Pavlenko, and 4 months later the case was transferred to Judge Anna Zakharova. In April 2022, the court sentenced Vitaliy Ilinykh to 2.5 years of probation. This decision entered into force on July 28, 2022 after an appeal.
Timeline

Persons in case

Ilinykh
Vitaliy

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Ussuriysk
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, he carried out "actions of an organizational nature for the distribution of prohibited literature and information, as well as control over the preaching by members of a local religious organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and local religious organizations that are part of its structure)
Court case number:
11902050010000101
Initiated:
September 18, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the city of Ussuriysk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorye Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-12/2022 (1-112/2021; 1-881/2020)
Court:
Ussuriyskiy District Court, Primorskiy Territory
Judge:
Anna Zakharova
Case History
Back to top