Court Found Lubov Serebryakova, 72, Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible. Peaceful Believer and Grandmother of Three, Given 4-Year Suspended Sentence

 RUSSIA


Court Found Lubov Serebryakova, 72, Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible. Peaceful Believer and Grandmother of Three, Given 4-Year Suspended Sentence

July 13, 2023 Kemerovo Region


On July 11, 2023, Olga Chaika, judge of the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk, found Lubov Serebryakova guilty of extremism because of her religion. The elderly Jehovah's Witness was given a 4-year suspended sentence — a year more than the prosecutor requested for her.


The believer herself does not plead guilty, which she stated to the court: “I performed all my religious actions exclusively within the framework of freedom of religion.” The essence of the charges were simply that Serebryakova attended peaceful meetings for worship and made several comments based on the Bible.


In June 2021, security forces raided the homes of several elderly Jehovah's Witnesses in Novokuznetsk. They have been tracked since November 2019. Serebryakova herself was not searched. Vladislav Minayev, an investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region—Kuzbass, opened a criminal case against her in the summer of 2022. The believer was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization, and they took a written undertaking not to leave her place. The investigation lasted two months, and in August 2022 the case went to court.


What was happening worsened the already weak health of the believer. Even before the persecution began, Lyubov survived two heart attacks, and when the pre-trial investigation ended, she again ended up in emergency cardiology. Friends and co-religionists of Lyubov helped pay for the necessary treatment.


Despite the condemnation of the world community, Russian law enforcement agencies continue to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their peaceful religious practice not prohibited by law. Among those who faced repression are more than fifty men and women over 70.


Serebryakova case in Novokuznetsk


Brief history of the case


In the summer of 2021, Jehovah's Witnesses in Novokuznetsk were searched. A year later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Lyubov Serebryakova, she was placed on bail. The investigation found the believer guilty of extremism because of attending the services of Jehovah's Witnesses and talking about the Bible. In August 2022, the case went to court. About a year later, the 72-year-old believer was sentenced to 4 years probation.


Criminal case


Region:

Kemerovo Region

Locality:

Novokuznetsk

What is suspected:

“Personally propagated the activities of the organization and its ideological guidelines”, “Participated in missionary activities”, “Participated in meetings of followers of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, preaching the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses” (from the decision to prosecute as an accused)

Case number:

12202320010000262

Initiated:

July 8, 2022

Current stage of the case:

trial in appellate court

Investigating:

Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2(2)

Case number in court:

1-21/2023 (1-269/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Olga Chaika

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