The Appeal Upheld the Verdict of Two Jehovah's Witnesses From Taganrog. Aleksandr Skvortsov Again Became a Prisoner of Conscience for His Religious Beliefs

 RUSSIA

The Appeal Upheld the Verdict of Two Jehovah's Witnesses From Taganrog. Aleksandr Skvortsov Again Became a Prisoner of Conscience for His Religious Beliefs

August 23, 2023 Rostov Region

According to the decision of the panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court, on August 22, 2023, the sentence for Aleksandr Skvortsov and Valeriy Tibiy came into force: 7 years in prison and 6 years of suspended sentence, respectively. The believers continue to insist on their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.

Skvortsov and Tibiy were convicted, in fact, for professing biblically based beliefs. The appeal drew attention to the fact that "singing songs praising God, turning to God in prayer, discussing the Bible together" - actions for which believers were accused of continuing the activities of an extremist organization - are "a way of professing his religion, guaranteed by both national and international law" and "does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity." The believers' lawyer stressed that the court did not provide a single evidence that the defendants had a motive of religious enmity or hatred.

The defense pointed to a miscarriage of justice: "Being a Jehovah's Witness in Russia is not a crime ... The Constitution of the Russian Federation allows a convicted person to be a believer. Also, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The government of the Russian Federation publicly declares that believers in Russia after April 20, 2017 have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

In the Rostov region, persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds has been going on for many years. Back in 2009, a local religious organization was banned in Taganrog. In 2011, a wave of searches in the homes of believers swept through the city. One of those who then became one of the defendants in the "Case of 16" was Aleksandr Skvortsov. Subsequently, the believers were sentenced to suspended sentences and fines. In 2020, Skvortsov served his sentence in full, but now he has been imprisoned on the basis of similar charges. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights considered a lawsuit, the applicants in which were, among other things, those convicted in the "Case of 16". The ECHR concluded that the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses were groundless, and Russia should take "all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and release imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses."

To date, 13 believers have been imprisoned in the Rostov region, including one woman.

The Case of Skvortsov and Tibiy in Taganrog

Brief history of the case

Alexander Skvortsov, one of the convicts in the high-profile “ Case of 16 ”, fully served his sentence in December 2020. Three months later, he discovered a tracking device at his home, after which the security forces came to him with a search. In December 2021, searches were already held at the homes of 30 residents of Taganrog, including the Skvortsovs, as well as the family of Valery Tibiy. Alexander was taken away for interrogation, placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pre-trial detention center. In March 2022, Valery also became a defendant in a criminal case. He was detained and, despite a serious illness, was sent to jail. Both believers were accused by the Investigative Committee of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The case went to court in November 2022. During the hearings, it turned out that the FSB had been monitoring them since 2016, and the infiltrated agent had been audio-recording conversations about the Bible with believers. In June 2023, Skvortsov was sentenced to 7 years of real imprisonment, and Tibiy to 6 years of probation. The appeal upheld this decision.

Criminal case

Region:

Rostov Region

Locality:

Taganrog

What is suspected:

“organized the activities of the Taganrog LRO of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which was recognized as extremist and liquidated” back in 2009.

Case number:

12102600017000087

Initiated:

December 7, 2021

Current stage of the case:

verdict took effect

Investigating:

SO for the city of Taganrog of the Investigative Department of the IC of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2(1)

Case number in court:

1-43/2023 (1-829/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Taganrog city court of the Rostov region

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Georgy Serebrynikov

In the photo: Valery Tibiy with his wife, Alexander Skvortsov's wife and their friends before the Court of Appeal. Rostov-on-Don, August 2023.