From left to right: Sergey Tolokonnikov, Roman Mareyev and Anatoliy Marunov participate in the appeal hearing via video conferencing from the pretrial detention center

From left to right: Sergey Tolokonnikov, Roman Mareyev and Anatoliy Marunov participate in the appeal hearing via video conferencing from the pretrial detention center

From left to right: Sergey Tolokonnikov, Roman Mareyev and Anatoliy Marunov participate in the appeal hearing via video conferencing from the pretrial detention center

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Appeal in Moscow Toughens the Punishment for One of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Terms for Two Other Believers Remain Unchanged

Moscow

On October 3, 2024, the verdict against Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareyev entered into force. Meanwhile, the Moscow City Court added 2 months to Tolokonnikov's term. The three believers received from 4.5 to 6.5 years in a penal colony.

"The court criminalized the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses," the believers' lawyer said in the appeal. "As a result, the court declared the peaceful and socially harmless practice of religion a crime."

Roman Mareyev stressed that the decision of the court of first instance violates Article 28 of the RF Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. He also noted: "The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions, and did not establish against which specific social group I acted... The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity... I consider all the conclusions of the verdict to be not based on facts and are aimed at depriving peaceful believers, Jehovah's Witnesses, of their liberty."

Due to his imprisonment, Roman Mareyev cannot take care of his parents - his mother and father have disabilities; his father uses crutches after two heart attacks. Sergey Tolokonnikov lost his job, where he had a reputation as a respected employee.

In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling stating: "The Russian Federation, as a respondent state, must take all necessary measures to ensure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses."

The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow

Case History
In October 2021, the Investigative Committee conducted at least eight searches in different districts of Moscow and the Moscow Region. Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareyev were detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. Later, Mareyev and Tolokonnikov were placed in a detention center, and Marunov was placed under house arrest. A criminal case was initiated against them under an article for extremism. In June 2022, the case went to court. The charge was based on recordings made by an FSB agent who pretended to be interested in the Bible. In July 2023, the defendants were sentenced: 69-year-old veteran of work Marunov – 6.5 years, 50-year-old Tolokonnikov – 5 years, and 45-year-old Mareyev – 4.5 years in a penal colony. A year later, the court of appeal toughened Tolokonnikov’s sentence, adding 2 months to his term.
Timeline

Persons in case

Mareyev
Roman
Marunov
Anatoliy
Tolokonnikov
Sergey

Criminal case

Region:
Moscow
Locality:
Moscow
Suspected of:
"acted as heads and communicative leaders of the religious organization, by organizing and conducting discussions, monitoring presentations of participants, commenting on passages of text read out" (from the Ruling to charge)
Court case number:
12102450011000104
Initiated:
October 20, 2021
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Department for the Investigating of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the City of Moscow
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
01-0123/2023 (01-0997/2022)
Court of First Instance:
Savelovskiy District Court of the City of Moscow
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Dmitriy Zozulya
Case History