Vadim Fedorov with his family and friends outside the courthouse in Asha. April 2023

Vadim Fedorov with his family and friends outside the courthouse in Asha. April 2023

Vadim Fedorov with his family and friends outside the courthouse in Asha. April 2023

Unjust Verdicts

In the City of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region, a Court Gave Vadim Fedorov, the Father of Many Children, a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith

Chelyabinsk Region

On April 28, 2023, the Asha City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region gave one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vadim Fedorov, a 6-year suspended sentence for holding meetings for worship not prohibited by law. Judge Aleksey Rustamshin deemed discussing the Bible to be "organizing the activity of an extremist organization".

Vadim Fedorov, the father of five children, insists on his innocence. In his final statement, he said: “My conscience is clear both before God and before the state. I did nothing wrong for which I could be punished or called an extremist. The prosecution did not prove what they accuse me of ... I try to live according to the norms and commandments that are set out in the Bible, and for me this is sacred”.

In June 2021, while Vadim Fedorov was not there, his home was searched as part of the case against Andrey Perminov. A year later, criminal proceedings also started against Vadim. His home was searched one more time, again in his absence. It turned out that in April 2022, Aleksandr Chepenko, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiated a criminal case against a 52-year-old believer on suspicion of extremism. The investigation lasted for about six months. From June 2022, Vadim Fedorov was under a recognizance agreement. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his bank accounts were blocked.

The case went to court in October 2022. At the request of the prosecutor, after 2 months it was transferred to another judge, and the proceedings started over. The prosecutor had requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for the believer. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.

Defending his good name, Vadim Fedorov reminded the court of the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, according to which the investigation should not initiate criminal cases, searches and arrests only on the basis that a person adheres to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Case of Fedorov in Asha

Case History
In June 2021, in Asha first search was carried out at the home of the father of five children, Vadim Fedorov. In April 2022, Chepenko, investigator for the Investigative Committee, initiated a criminal case against the believer for “organizing the activity of an extremist organization.” On his instigation, in June 2022, Vadim’s home was searched again, after which they placed him under a recognizance agreement. In October 2022, Fedorov’s case went to court. The prosecutor filed a motion to recuse the judge. Aleksey Rustamshin took over the case. In April 2023, the court gave Fedorov a 6-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal later upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Chelyabinsk Region
Locality:
Asha
Suspected of:
"supervised a meeting of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ashinsky district ... organized the collection of reports on the preaching work"
Court case number:
12202750030000016
Initiated:
April 29, 2022
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-8/2023 (1-237/2022)
Court of First Instance:
Ашинский городской суд Челябинской области
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Алексей Рустамшин
Case History