In the photo: Shamil Sultanov, Alexander Akopov, Konstantin Samsonov

In the photo: Shamil Sultanov, Alexander Akopov, Konstantin Samsonov

In the photo: Shamil Sultanov, Alexander Akopov, Konstantin Samsonov

Unjust Verdicts

Appeal in Stavropol Replaced Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Konstantin Samsonov With a Fine

Stavropol Territory

On August 5, 2022, the Stavropol Regional Court, chaired by Judge Andrey Shever, partially granted the appeal and commuted the sentence, replacing Konstantin Samsonov with 7.5 years in prison for a fine. The believer is expected to be released on August 8.

According to preliminary information the court also partially satisfied the prosecutor's appeal, increasing the amount of fines for other defendants in the case—Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. Taking into account the period of detention in a pre-trial detention center, all three believers were fined, payable: Sultanov and Akopov—250,000 rubles each, and Samsonov—400,000 rubles.

Update. It became known that the court imposed a fine of 1,400,000 rubles on Konstantin Samsonov and 1,000,000 rubles on Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. However, given the long period pre-trial detention, the punishment was reduced to fines of 400,000 rubles for Samsonov and 250,000 rubles each for Akopov and Sultanov.

On April 19, 2022, the judge of the Neftekumskiy District Court Maksim Mazikin considered the conversations of three believers about God to be extremism. Of these, Konstantin Samsonov, the leading systems engineer at the Neftekumsk Central District Hospital, received the most severe sentence for his faith.

The process was held with violations, the prosecution did not provide evidence of crimes on the part of believers, as witnesses the prosecutor involved repeatedly convicted persons, including those who did not know the defendants, and the secret prosecution witness “Agafonov” admitted that the believers did not cause any harm to him or anyone or otherwise.

Addressing the court at the appeal hearing, Samsonov emphasized that extremism was alien to him. He added: “I not only implemented federal programs for the digitalization of healthcare, but also participated in subbotniks to improve the city, did not lead an immoral lifestyle, raised a responsible son . . . I myself chose the Christian path. This is not extremism!”

Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov spent a year behind bars. Due to the imposed restrictions for more than two years, they were forced to wear special sensors that record their movements.

On June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to end the persecution of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds and to release all believers illegally imprisoned.

Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk

Case History
In August 2017, security forces conducted a raid on believers from Neftekumsk during a picnic. More than half of the 18 detained persons were children, the elderly and disabled persons. In December 2018, the FSB initiated a criminal case for extremism. Homes of local believers were searched. Shamil Sultanov, Konstantin Samsonov and Aleksandr Akopov spent about a year in a detention center. The prosecution repeatedly called convicted persons as witnesses. Some of them did not know the defendants. The defense pointed to the fabrication of the case materials. In March 2022, the prosecutor requested 9 years in a penal colony for Samsonov and 8 years each for Akopov and Sultanov. In April 2022, the court sentenced Samsonov to 7.5 years in a penal colony, Akopov and Sultanov each received a fine of 500,000 rubles. Following the results of the appeal, in August 2022, Samsonov paid a fine of 400,000 rubles taking into account the time served in the detention center, while Akopov and Sultanov paid 250,000 rubles each. This decision was upheld by the court of cassation.
Timeline

Persons in case

Akopov
Aleksandr
Samsonov
Konstantin
Sultanov
Shamil

Criminal case

Region:
Stavropol Territory
Locality:
Neftekumsk
Suspected of:
“After the decision of Russia's Supreme Court to ban the activities...of the religious organization (of Jehovah's Witnesses)...he did not renounce his religious views.”
Court case number:
11807070001100084
Initiated:
December 7, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Stavropol Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-1/2022 (1-46/2021)
Court:
Neftekumsk District Court of the Stavropol Territory
Judge:
Maksim Mazikin
Case History
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