The court in Birobidzhan re-sentenced the Postnikov spouses to suspended sentences for reading the Bible

 RUSSIA


The court in Birobidzhan re-sentenced the Postnikov spouses to suspended sentences for reading the Bible

August 24, 2023 Jewish Autonomous Region


On August 23, 2023, the Birobidzhan District

 Court of the Jewish Autonomous Okrug concluded the retrial of the case of Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov, accused of extremism for discussing biblical teachings. Its result was a sentence of 5.5 and 4.5 years of probation with a probationary period of 5 years.


Judge Olga Klyuchnikova actually duplicated the previous sentence - earlier her colleague Maria Tsimarno gave Oleg 5.5 years, and Agnes Postnikova 5 years of probation. In October 2022, a panel of judges of the Birobidzhan Regional Court of the EAO overturned this verdict and sent the case back for a new trial. Despite the lack of evidence of the defendants' guilt, the prosecutor again requested the former punishment for the Postnikovs.


Agnes stressed that there was not a single piece of evidence presented at the trial that she and her husband, in their own words or otherwise, humiliated someone or called for any illegal actions. “The secret video footage provided by the prosecutor’s office is the clearest evidence of the absence of a hate motive,” Agnes said, and continued: “[One of the witnesses] assured the court that neither I nor my husband used offensive and degrading words, towards genocide and repression were not called. And the main witness, because of communication with whom I appeared before the court, repeatedly confirmed that there was no involvement in the organization. Nevertheless, the prosecution continues to insist that we did this after all.” Oleg Postnikov noted in his last speech: “Jehovah's Witnesses are not criminals. We are simply following the clear commandment of Jesus Christ to “love one another.”


The accusation against the Postnikovs was based on the testimony of police officer Zvereva and another resident of Birobidzhan, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, as well as on hidden video recordings of their conversations. Zvereva testified in almost all criminal cases of Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan.


The Jewish Autonomous Region is one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, where 21 believers have already received various sentences. Four of them are serving sentences in colonies.


The Postnikov case in Birobidzhan


Brief history of the case


In May 2018, a special operation of the FSB took place in Birobidzhan with the participation of 150 security officials, code-named “Judgment Day”. As a result, at least 20 local Jehovah's Witnesses became victims of criminal prosecution. Among them were Oleg and Agnes Postnikov. The FSB accused the spouses of involvement in an extremist organization and participation in its activities. Since February 2020, Oleg, and since March 2021, Agnes, have been under house arrest. Three months later, the case went to court. The accusation against the Postnikovs was based on the testimony of police officer Zvereva and another resident of Birobidzhan, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, as well as on hidden video recordings of their conversations. In April 2022, the court found the believers guilty and sentenced Oleg and Agnes to 5.5 and 5 years of probation, respectively. The appeal overturned this decision and in October 2022 returned the case for a new trial, which resulted in a sentence for believers - 5.5 and 4.5 years of probation.


Criminal case


Region:

Jewish Autonomous Region

Locality:

Birobidzhan

What is suspected:

according to the investigation, “he took an active part in holding religious events for the study and dissemination of ... ideology”

Case number:

12007990001000009

Initiated:

February 12, 2020

Current stage of the case:

trial in appellate court

Investigating:

Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2), 282.2 (1.1)

Case number in court:

1-39/2023 (1-718/2022)

Court:

Birobidzhansky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Olga Klyuchikova


In the photo: Agnes and Oleg Postnikov at the courthouse. August 2023.

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