Two More Residents of the Khabarovsk Territory Were Convicted for Believing in God. Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov Sentenced to Heavy Fines

 RUSSIA

Two More Residents of the Khabarovsk Territory Were Convicted for Believing in God. Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov Sentenced to Heavy Fines

August 4, 2023 Khabarovsk Territory

On August 3, 2023, Judge Denis Dneprovsky of the Bikin City Court found Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov guilty of extremism. For their faith, Olga was sentenced to a fine of 300,000 rubles, and Sergey - 500,000 rubles.

In November 2020, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region initiated criminal cases against Sergey Kazakov and Olga Mirgorodskaya. The man was accused of organizing and participating in extremist activities, while the woman was accused of participating only. About a month later, in December, a wave of searches swept through the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Khabarovsk Territory. According to believers, during the raid, the security forces searched everything, including trash cans and cat trays.

At the time of the searches, Sergey Kazakov was in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - he came there to look after his mother after a stroke. Immediately after that, he was transferred from Kamchatka to the Khabarovsk Territory and placed in a pre-trial detention center. Sergey spent 165 days in custody and more than 2 months under house arrest.

The investigation lasted 1 year and 3 months, after which the case was referred to the court. The prosecution did not provide evidence of the believers' guilt, and from the case materials it was clear only that Mirgorodskaya and Kazakov believed in Jehovah God. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked that Sergei be sentenced to 6 years and 2 months imprisonment, and Olga - 4 years suspended.

During the court hearings, Olga stated: “In my case, the prosecution illegally, under pain of criminal liability, is trying to force me to go against my faith and conscience. I did not commit a crime, but only used my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in accordance with my religious beliefs.”

Sergey said: “Having established that I am a believer, the public prosecutor unreasonably replaced the concept of exercising the right of citizens to freedom of religion [...] with the concept of criminal activity, in connection with which I consider this criminal case to be politically motivated repressions.”

In total, 18 criminal cases were initiated in the Khabarovsk Territory against 35 Jehovah's Witnesses. The sentences have already entered into force for 10 believers.

Russian and foreign human rights activists unambiguously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Elizabeth Clark, an international expert on human rights and European Union law, states: “Jehovah's Witnesses ... are facing increasing persecution ... in Russia for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief. This violates Russia's obligations under international law and its own constitution."

Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin

Brief history of the case

In November 2020, the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory opened a criminal case against a retired firefighter Sergei Kazakov and a mother of two children, Olga Mirgorodskaya. The investigation suspected Sergei of organizing extremist activities, and Olga only of participation. A month later, searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers. Sergei was detained in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where he was caring for an elderly mother who had suffered a stroke. He spent more than 5 months in a pre-trial detention center, another 2 months under house arrest. In February 2022, the case went to court. At a preliminary hearing, the judge ordered that the case be returned to the prosecutor, but that order was later overturned. In May, the case of believers was again sent to court for consideration in the same composition. In August 2023, the Bikinsky City Court found Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov guilty of extremism and fined them 300,000 and 500,000 rubles, respectively.

Criminal case

Region:

Khabarovsk Territory

Locality:

Bikin

Case number:

12002080008000011

Initiated:

November 9, 2020

Current stage of the case:

trial in appellate court

Investigating:

The second department for the investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-52/2022

Court of First Instance:

Bikinsky City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Denis Dneprovskiy

In the photos: 

1. Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov at the entrance of the city court building. August 2023.

2. A group of friends came to the courthouse to support the believers. August 2023.