69-year-old Yuriy Savelyev Was Released from a Colony in Rubtsovsk

 RUSSIA


69-year-old Yuriy Savelyev Was Released from a Colony in Rubtsovsk

July 19, 2023 Novosibirsk Region,   Altai Territory


On July 19, 2023, Yuriy Savelyev was released from penal colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory, having fully served his sentence. The believer was met by dozens of friends.


Yuriy Savelyev, 69, is one of the Russian Jehovah's Witnesses whose criminal prosecution for his faith has been dragging on since 2017. The elderly believer was under covert video surveillance. In November 2018, a criminal case was opened against Yuriy, in the same month the man ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for more than two years until the verdict was passed. In December 2020, the court sentenced Savelyev to 6 years in prison. Since a day of detention in a pre-trial detention center is counted as one and a half in a general regime colony, Yuriy spent de facto 760 days (about 2 years) in a correctional facility after the verdict.


He served this term in Rubtsovsk. The administration of the colony, on far-fetched grounds, repeatedly put believer in strict conditions of detention, a punishment cell and a cell-type room — Yuriy spent a total of 9 months in such conditions. In addition, the believer was sent for compulsory medical treatment, which he did not need. In the fall of 2021, the son of Yuriy died. In addition, in the spring of 2023, Savelyev suffered severe pneumonia.


Yuriy was supposed to leave the colony on March 25, 2023. However, his detention was extended until July 19 of the same year on the basis of a court order. The defense does not agree with this decision and continues to appeal against it.


Despite these difficulties, Yuriy did not lose heart, waiting for the day of release. According to him, prayer and reading the Bible were of great help. He was also encouraged by letters of support from all over the world: Savelyev received about 20,000 of such during his imprisonment.


So far, 126 of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have been sentenced to real prison terms for their faith, 69 of them were in prison. In total, more than 2,000 searches have already been carried out in Russia in the homes of believers, more than 730 people have faced criminal prosecution for their faith.


Saveliev's case in Novosibirsk


Brief history of the case


6 years in a penal colony - such a harsh sentence for his faith was received by 66-year-old Yuri Savelyev from Novosibirsk. The man was arrested in November 2018 during searches in the homes of believers. He was in jail until sentencing in December 2020. The appeal, and then the cassation approved the verdict. In May 2021, Yuri Savelyev was transferred to IK-5 in the city of Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory. In the colony, the administration unreasonably tried to force a believer into treatment for alcoholism. On far-fetched grounds, the elderly man spent about 9 months in strict conditions of detention. Yuri was released in July 2023.


Criminal case


Region:

Novosibirsk Region

Locality:

Novosibirsk

What is suspected:

according to the investigation, he illegally organized the activities of a religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Novosibirsk (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)

Case number:

11802500019000098

Initiated:

November 7, 2018

Current stage of the case:

verdict took effect

Investigating:

SO SU IC of Russia for the Novosibirsk region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2(1)

Case number in court:

1-42/2020

Court:

Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk


In the photo: Friends meet Yuriy Savelyev at the exit from the colony. July 2023

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