Believer, 71, Sentenced to 4 Years in a Penal Colony. Court in Belogorsk Found Vladimir Balabkin Guilty of Extremism for Conducting Meetings for Worship

Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner who has cancer, received 4 years in a penal colony for his faith in Jehovah God. This decision was made by the Belogorsk District Court on September 13, 2023. He was arrested in the courtroom. He maintains his innocence and can appeal the verdict of Judge Natalya Kramar.

In the spring of 2021, law enforcement officers raided homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Belogorsk, including that of Vladimir Balabkin. The criminal case against him was initiated by FSB investigator V. Obukhov, who is behind most of the similar cases against believers in the region. The elderly Balabkins had to travel 140 km from their home to Blagoveshchensk for interrogation; this was not easy for them due to the exacerbation of Vladimir's serious illness and the consequences of his wife Tatiana’s heart surgery.

The law enforcement agencies considered it a crime to hold religious meetings, equating it to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In court, one of the witnesses, an FSB officer, stated that he considered the believer guilty because he "provided devices to connect to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses," "connected others to meetings" and "showed how to use programs." At the same time, the expert study concludes that there are no signs of extremism in Balabkin's actions. Despite this, the prosecutor insisted on a guilty verdict and requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for the believer.

"You can disagree with the faith and teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but as the Russian President said, it is wrong to put them on a par with extremists" emphasized Balabkin in his final statement. "After all, my faith and my beliefs are based on the Word of God, the Bible. It teaches the exact opposite: love people and be kind to everyone."

In October 2021, the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court ruled that it is necessary "to avoid cases of groundless criminal prosecution of persons solely on the visible expression of their attitude to religion." Nevertheless, in the Amur Region, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses received from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony for their faith and 2 received suspended sentences.