In Novosibirsk, a Court Sentenced 71-year-old Tatyana Oleynik to Four Years Suspended for Her Faith

 RUSSIA


In Novosibirsk, a Court Sentenced 71-year-old Tatyana Oleynik to Four Years Suspended for Her Faith

August 24, 2023 Novosibirsk Region


On August 22, 2023, the judge of the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Novosibirsk, Marina Borzitskaya, sentenced pensioner Tatyana Oleynik to four years suspended for meeting with fellow believers, considering those "participation in the activities of an extremist organization."


Tatyana Oleynyk first experienced persecution for her faith back in April 2019. Then, as part of a criminal case against several Jehovah's Witnesses from Novosibirsk, Tatyana was searched. In November 2021, the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region opened a case against Oleynik under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the end of 2022, the case went to court. Judge considered it for 8 months.


Addressing the court at one of the hearings, Tatyana explained that she "never carried out extremist activities, did not commit actions aimed at inciting hatred or enmity." According to the believer, all her "actions were peaceful and were determined solely by the motive of fulfilling the commands recorded in the Bible and exercising the right to profess and spread the faith in the ways characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses." The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.


Aleksandr Seredkin, from whose case the case against Tatyana Oleynik was separated, was sentenced to six years in prison and is currently serving this term in a penal colony. The case against Tatyana's two more fellow believers, Valeriy Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina, was also moved into separate proceedings and is still under consideration in another court in Novosibirsk.


In the region, eight of Jehovah's Witnesses faced criminal prosecution for their faith. One of them, Yuriy Savelyev, was recently released after serving his sentence in full.


Oleinik case in Novosibirsk


Brief history of the case


In April 2019, security officials raided the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Novosibirsk Region, including pensioner Tatyana Oleinik. Based on the information collected by the infiltrated agent, the FSB opened a criminal case against the three believers. In October 2021, the materials regarding Tatyana were separated into a separate proceeding, and a month later, the investigation opened a criminal case against her. A believer from Novosibirsk was accused of participating in extremist activities for providing an apartment for meetings with fellow believers and participating in divine services. The woman was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. In December 2022, the case of Tatyana Oleinik went to court. In August 2023, the believer was sentenced to 4 years probation.


Criminal case


Region:

Novosibirsk Region

Locality:

Novosibirsk

What is suspected:

According to investigators, “repeatedly provided her living quarters for holding collective religious meetings with followers of the dogma of Jehovah’s Witnesses, personally took part in religious meetings”

Case number:

12107500001000064

Initiated:

November 18, 2021

Current stage of the case:

Trial in appellate court

Investigating:

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

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2(2)

Case number in court:

1-193/2023 (1-815/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Oktyabrsky District Court of Novosibirsk

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Marina Borzitskaya


In the photo: Tatyana Oleinik after the announcement of the verdict. Novosibirsk, August 2023

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