Boris Simonenko, 68, Was Given Two Years and Seven Months in Prison for Believing in Jehovah. The Court Decided That the Term Had Already Been Served

 RUSSIA

Boris Simonenko, 68, Was Given Two Years and Seven Months in Prison for Believing in Jehovah. The Court Decided That the Term Had Already Been Served

August 1, 2023 Vladimir Region

On July 28, 2023, the judge of the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region, Dmitriy Kirillov, sentenced Boris Simonenko to 2 years and 7 months in prison, which included the period of his stay in a pre-trial detention center and under other preventive measures. The believer remains at large, but a number of restrictions will apply to him during the year.

The criminal prosecution of Simonenko, the first of three Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kovrov whom the FSB suspected of extremism, began in February 2021. Boris' house was searched. He was accused of organizing the activities of a liquidated religious association. This is how the investigators interpreted the believer's biblical speeches.

An elderly man was sent to a pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost 5 months, 4 of which—in the "press ward" (a room where other people are planted specifically to put pressure on the arrested person) with two former police majors. One of them is Vasiliy Voskoboynikov, convicted of organizing torture in a pre-trial detention center. Boris recalls: “They forbade me to lie down, sit, including at the table during meals, doused me with cold water at night, preventing me from sleeping, scattered my things and food, mutilated my dishes and constantly screamed.” According to the believer, during this period he was greatly supported by letters from relatives and co-religionists from all over the world. In July 2021, Symonenko was placed under house arrest, and six months later, the preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions.

The prosecutor asked the court to imprison Boris Simonenko in a penal colony for 6 years. The accusation against the believer was based on hidden recordings of telephone conversations between him and his wife, as well as screenshots from a computer screen, which show that believers communicate with each other via video link. During the hearings, two co-religionists of Boris Simonenko, Aleksey Kupriyanov and Roman Adestov, were interrogated. Kupriyanov's case is heard in the same court. In June 2023, the judge of the same court, Vasiliy Safronov, sentenced Adestov to a year in prison.

Speaking with the last word, Boris said: “[During the unfair criminal prosecution] my wife and I appreciated the support of loyal friends and God even more, realized how happy we are people. We don't feel like victims. On the contrary, my faith and the faith of my family have been strengthened.” He also shared, “The amazing resilience of our brothers and sisters greatly strengthens me. Especially the example of Valentina Baranovskaya, an elderly [woman] who withstood all [persecution] and emerged victorious. I realized that I just have to endure too.”

It is noteworthy that in June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia illegal and the ban on their activities, and also decided to stop the criminal prosecution of believers, and release the prisoners.

Case Simonenko in Kovrov

Brief history of the case

In February 2021, the residents of Kovrov were searched. Boris Simonenko, a retired miner, was detained. A criminal case was opened against him for believing in God. During interrogations, FSB officers from Vladimir and Kovrov presented screenshots taken in the summer of 2020, which showed that believers communicate with each other via video link. Also, the charges were based on the transcripts of Symonenko's telephone conversations, in which the Bible was mentioned. The believer spent 145 days in a pre-trial detention center, 219 days under house arrest, after which he was released under a ban on certain actions. In September 2022, the criminal case went to court. The prosecutor requested 6 years in prison for the believer. In July 2023, the court appointed Symonenko 2 years and 7 months in prison with additional restrictions for 1 year, which included the period of stay in a pre-trial detention center, under house arrest and a ban on certain actions.

Criminal case

Region:

Vladimir Region

Locality:

Kovrov

What is suspected:

according to the investigators, “he organized collective meetings, as well as religious performances, worship services and sermons at them ... independently spoke at these meetings.”

Case number:

12107170001000002

Initiated:

February 18, 2021

Current stage of the case:

trial in appellate court

Investigating:

Investigation Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Vladimir Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2(1)

Case number in court:

1-19/2023 (1-417/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Dmitry Kirillov