In Kovrov, A Court Found Aleksey Kupriyanov Guilty of Extremism for His Faith in God. He Was Sentenced to a Penal Colony, But the Term Is Considered as Having Been Served

On September 15, 2023, the Kovrov City Court sentenced local resident Aleksey Kupriyanov to 1 imprisonment and 6 months restriction of freedom. Judge Vyacheslav Kuznetsov considered quoting from the Bible as proof of the believer's guilt of extremism. The term was served during the investigation. Kupriyanov maintains his innocence.

Back in February 2021, during mass searches and interrogations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kovrov, Aleksey came across prosecution on religious grounds. A criminal case against him was initiated in June 2021. D. A. Tyumenev, investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Vladimir Region, deemed that Kupriyanov was continuing the activity of the liquidated legal entity (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC) as he "took part in religious meetings... actively participated in collecting information on the amount of work done... on introducing... the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses... to the masses." Shortly after, Kupriyanov's home was searched again, then the believer was detained and later placed in a pretrial detention center.

His detention lasted about 4.5 months. During this time, the believer was prohibited from reading the Bible and pronouncing the name of God Jehovah; for a time his letters were withheld and he was threatened with his wife and son being prosecuted. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. he was forced to sit on the cold floor. Also, Kupriyanov's cellmate, a former officer, convicted for organizing torture, was instructed by the detention center officers to put pressure on the believer to make him incriminate himself. Aleksey began to have health problems because of this, but despite a high fever, he was not transferred to the medical unit. Consequently, Kupriyanov had to undergo surgery.

Later, the believer was transferred to house arrest for 7 months and was allowed walks for 2 hours a day. In September 2022, Kupriyanov's case went to court. At the court hearings, witnesses for the prosecution stated that they had not heard calls for extremism from the defendant. FSB officer Bordunov, who conducted operational-investigative measures, said that Kupriyanov participated in the activity of the liquidated legal entity, but did not provide evidence of this and avoided answering most of the questions from the defense.

According to Kupriyanov, he was greatly encouraged by the care of his wife care and fellow believers, who sent him encouraging thoughts in their letters. Aleksey recalls: "The letters and the Bible, as well as supplicating in prayer day and night helped me to fight the feeling of worthlessness that they tried to instill in me. That's how it was for a few months." According to Aleksey, he was strengthened by the opportunity to "comfort other brothers and sisters" with poems that he composed in response to their letters.

In his final statement, Aleksey Kupriyanov said: "The charge is based only on the fact that I am a believer and that I believe in Jehovah. Your Honor, faith is on trial here!" Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor requested the court sentence the believer to 4 years in a penal colony. Considering the clarifications of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, Kupriyanov can appeal the verdict to a higher court.