Aleksandr Sobyanin, Vladimir Poltoradnev and Vladimir Timoshkin with a group of supporters near the courthouse. November, 2023.

Aleksandr Sobyanin, Vladimir Poltoradnev and Vladimir Timoshkin with a group of supporters near the courthouse. November, 2023.

Aleksandr Sobyanin, Vladimir Poltoradnev and Vladimir Timoshkin with a group of supporters near the courthouse. November, 2023.

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Appeal Confirms Fines for Three Jehovah's Witnesses From Solikamsk

Perm Territory

On November 16, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Perm Territory Court upheld the main part of the verdict against Vladimir Poltoradnev, Vladimir Timoshkin and Aleksandr Sobyanin. The believers will have to pay fines ranging from 494,000 rubles to 638,000 rubles. At the same time, the court overturned the decision to collect lawyer's fees from them and released Sobyanin's car.

In August 2023, the court found the believers guilty of organizing the activiy of an extremist organization for participating in religious meetings and "discussing questions and topics of a religious nature with followers [of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses]."

In appeals against the verdict, those convicted for their faith drew attention to the fact that all their actions were completely peaceful and that they did not do anything related to extremism. "The court considered the ordinary religious practice of Jehovah's Witnesses, not prohibited by law (gathering for meetings for worship, singing religious songs, praying to God, reading the Holy Scriptures and unprohibited religious publications, carrying out the preaching activity, etc.), prohibited activity, which contradicts the provisions of Article 28 of the RF Constitution," Vladimir Poltoradnev said in his appeal.

The believers drew the court's attention to the fact that according to the appellate ruling of the RF Supreme Court of June 17, 2017, adopted in the case of the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, "the court of first instance did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways in which they were expressed," but only assessed the actions of specific legal entities. "Recognition of a legal entity as extremist is not tantamount to imposing a ban on a religious denomination with its inherent beliefs, spiritual terminology, the way meetings are conducted," is stated in one of the believers' appeals.

Vladimir Poltoradnev, Vladimir Timoshkin and Aleksandr Sobyanin still maintain their innocence and can appeal the decisions of the courts in cassation procedure.

The case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk

Case History
In July 2020, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Perm Territory opened a criminal case against Vladimir Poltoradnev, Alexander Sobyanin and Vladimir Timoshkin from Solikamsk. By that time, law enforcement officers had been spying on them for a long time. After searches and interrogations, three believers ended up in a temporary detention facility. Then Sobyanin was released under a ban on certain actions, and Poltoradnev and Timoshkin were placed under house arrest for 2 and 3 months, respectively. Later, the measure of restraint of the latter was also changed to a ban on certain actions. After the investigation was repeatedly suspended and resumed, the case went to court in April 2023. Already in August, the judge found the believers guilty and fined: Alexander Sobyanin for 494 thousand rubles, Vladimir Poltoradnev for 638 thousand rubles and Vladimir Timoshkin for 512 thousand rubles. An appeal in November 2023 upheld the main part of the sentence, slightly mitigating the additional punishment.
Timeline

Persons in case

Sobyanin
Aleksandr
Poltoradnev
Vladimir
Timoshkin
Vladimir

Criminal case

Region:
Perm Territory
Locality:
Solikamsk
Suspected of:
"directly participated in religious meetings ... discussed with his followers issues and topics of a religious nature" (from the decision to prosecute as an accused)
Court case number:
12002570024000055
Initiated:
July 27, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the City of Solikamsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Perm Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-180/2023
Court of First Instance:
Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Yevgeniy Sergeyev
Case History
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