A Kazan Court Sent Sergey Gromov to a Penal Colony for Six Years for Holding Religious Meetings

 RUSSIA


A Kazan Court Sent Sergey Gromov to a Penal Colony for Six Years for Holding Religious Meetings

September 15, 2023 Tatarstan


On September 14, 2023, the consideration of the case of Jehovah's Witness Sergey Gromov was completed in the Moskovsky District Court of Kazan. Judge Alsu Gumirova found him guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 6 years and 1 month of imprisonment for peacefully practicing his faith.


Gromov's guilt, according to the investigation, is that he "held religious meetings" at home. Although the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that worship services in themselves are not a crime, the investigator, followed by the judge, equated holding such meetings with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The prosecutor asked to appoint Sergey to 8 years in prison. The believer considers himself innocent and can appeal the verdict.


Gromov was detained along with his wife in March 2022 at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. It also turned out that the day before an FSB investigator had opened a criminal case against him under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Then the Gromovs' apartment in Kazan was searched. Since March 17, 2022, Sergey has been in a pre-trial detention center. Over time, he was also accused of financing the activities of an extremist organization.


According to the believer, the testimonies of secret witnesses on whom the case is based are false. The defense is sure that FSB officer Mikhail Vasilyev and Aleksandr Komzolov, who shows a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses, are hiding behind pseudonyms. Gromov explained at one of the meetings that he had not been in contact with Komzolov since 2014, which means that he could not know anything about his religious life since that time. The judge removed the lawyer's questions aimed at identifying contradictions. The second witness, according to the defendant, reported "non-existent facts" about their acquaintance. The court did not establish whether there was a slander on the part of prosecution witnesses.


In total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Republic of Tatarstan. Eleven of them were convicted for their faith, Konstantin Sannikov received 6.5 years in prison. Human rights activists oppose this position of law enforcement officers and call on Russia to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.


The Gromov case in Kazan


Brief history of the case


In March 2022, FSB officers detained Sergei and Elena Gromov from Kazan at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport. As it turned out, on the same day, an FSB investigator opened a criminal case against Sergei, who professes the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, for organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The case involved two secret witnesses, one of whom was an FSB officer. The believer was arrested and placed in a temporary detention facility, and 2 days later - in a pre-trial detention center. Searches were carried out in the Gromovs’ apartment and at two other addresses. Later, the man was suspected of violating another article of the Criminal Code - on financing extremist activities. In February 2023, the case went to court. In September of the same year, Sergei was convicted and sentenced to 6 years 1 month in a general regime colony.


Criminal case


Region:

Tatarstan

Locality:

Kazan

What is suspected:

according to the investigation, he continued the activities of the liquidated religious organization - he held religious meetings at his place of residence

Criminal case number:

12207920001000008

Initiated:

March 15, 2022

Current stage of the case:

trial in appellate court

Investigates:

Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)

Court case number:

1-157/2023

Court of First Instance:

Moskovsky District Court of Kazan

Judge of the trial court:

Alsou Gumirova

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