First Sentence for Faith Given in Tula. Four of Jehovah's Witnesses Received Suspended Sentences

On November 20, 2023, Nina Panarina, judge of the Proletarsky District Court of Tula, convicted four Jehovah's Witnesses: Yevgeniy Godunov and Gurami Labadze received a 6.5-year suspended sentence, Yuliya Popkova and Anzhela Putivskaya — a 2.5-year suspended sentence.

The believers faced criminal prosecution for their religious beliefs in April 2021, when law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireyevsk. Then they learned that the FSB Directorate for the Tula Region had initiated a criminal case against them for organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC). After searches and interrogations, Gurami Labadze was placed under house arrest. Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova, who have a number of chronic illnesses, as well as Yevgeniy Godunov ended up in pretrial detention. About a month later, they were also placed under house arrest, and 2 months later they were all placed under a recognizance agreement. Later, the charges against Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova were reclassified under Article 282(2) of the RF CrC.

The investigation lasted 2 years, and the case went to court in April 2023. During the interrogation, prosecution witnesses gave evasive answers, their testimonies did not correspond to those recorded in the case materials. When asked by the defense whether the defendants showed hatred and discrimination against others and distributed banned literature, the FSB officer replied: "We were simply guided by the fact that they are Jehovah's Witnesses." Although the prosecution was unable to show what specific extremist actions the defendants committed, the prosecutor requested a 6-year suspended sentence for the men and a 2.5-year suspended sentence for the women.

The believers told how they coped with difficulties during imprisonment. Labadze spent 100 days under house arrest, not allowed to leave his apartment even to go on the landing, receive guests or use the telephone or the Internet. "When you find yourself in such difficult, unusual conditions, it particularly draws you closer to God, because this time you are not reading someone else's story, but you are personally experiencing his support," he says. "You are overwhelmed with gratitude that all your needs are taken care of by your fellow believers ... Where else in this world can you find such friends? And they were taught all this by Jehovah."

Yevgeniy Godunov, who spent 1 month in the detention center and 2 months under house arrest, recalls: "When it is difficult, one of the best ways to refocus is to reflect on Jehovah's creations. The only thing from nature in the detention center was a sprouting onion, they even gave him a name. Fortunately, I received many beautiful postcards and photos of nature. Such postcards were read and carefully examined not only by me, but also by everyone in the cell. In his final statement, he stated: "The prosecution requested that I be convicted for being an honest man who respects the laws of the land; for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, observing and using Article 28 of the RF Constitution; for never having committed criminal acts. It would be to give up good beliefs... Today I am in the dock for my faith in God and for wanting to live the way Jesus Christ taught."

In her final statement, Anzhela Putivskaya described how her apartment was invaded by a group of law enforcement officers, two of whom were armed with machine guns, the search lasted for many hours and was very exhausting. "Despite my poor health," the believer said, "the officers opened the windows, creating a draft, and thereby aggravated my condition. They also exerted psychological pressure on me, speaking obscenely about my religion, and forbade me to take my belongings and medical documents about my cancer with me."

Throughout this difficult time, the believers tried not to lose heart. Numerous letters of support written by fellow believers from all over the world helped them to maintain good spirits in the detention center.

Gurami Labadze, Yevgeniy Godunov, Yuliya Popkova and Anzhela Putivskaya still maintain their innocence and can appeal this verdict in appeal and cassation procedure.