The first sentence was passed for faith in Tula. Four Jehovah's Witnesses were given suspended sentences

 Russia

The first sentence was passed for faith in Tula. Four Jehovah's Witnesses were given suspended sentences

November 21 , 2023 Tula region

On November 20, 2023, Nina Panarina, a judge of the Proletarian District Court of Tula, convicted four Jehovah's Witnesses: Evgeny Godunov and Gurami Labadze — 6 years and 6 months probation, Yulia Popkova and Angela Putivskaya — 2 years and 6 months probation.

Believers faced criminal prosecution for their religious beliefs in April 2021, when law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireevsk. Then they learned that the FSB in the Tula region had opened a criminal case against them for organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After searches and interrogations, Gurami Labadze was placed under house arrest. Angela Putivskaya and Yulia Popkova, who have a number of chronic diseases, as well as Yevgeny Godunov ended up in jail. About a month later they were also placed under house arrest, and 2 months later they were all placed on their own recognizance. Later, the charges against Angela Putivskaya and Yulia Popkova were reclassified to Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The investigation lasted 2 years, and in April 2023 the case went to court. During the interrogation, the prosecution witnesses gave evasive answers, their testimony did not correspond to those recorded in the case materials. When asked by the defense whether the defendants showed hatred and discrimination towards others and whether they distributed prohibited literature, the FSB officer replied: "We were just guided by the fact that they are Jehovah's Witnesses." Although the prosecution could not indicate what specific extremist actions the defendants committed, the prosecutor requested 6 years of probation for men, and 2.5 years of probation for women.

Believers told how they coped with difficulties during imprisonment. Labadze spent 100 days under house arrest, not having the right to leave the apartment even on the landing, receive guests, as well as use the phone and the Internet. "When you find yourself in such difficult, unusual conditions, it especially brings you closer to God, because this time you are not reading someone else's story, but experiencing his support for yourself," he says. — You are overwhelmed with gratitude that your co-religionists take care of all your needs… Where else in this world can you find such friends? And Jehovah taught them all this."

Yevgeny Godunov, who spent a month in jail and 2 months under house arrest, recalls: "When it's difficult, one of the best ways to switch is to reflect on the creations of Jehovah. In the pre-trial detention center, there was only a sprouted onion from nature, they even gave it a name. Fortunately, I received many beautiful postcards and nature photos. Such postcards were read and carefully examined not only by me, but also by everyone in the cell." In his last word, he pointed out: "The prosecution asks to convict me for being an honest person who respects the laws of the country; for being a Jehovah's Witness, observing and using Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation; for the fact that I have never committed criminal acts. It is foolish to give up good beliefs... Today I am in the dock for my faith in God and for the fact that I want to live the way Jesus Christ taught."

In the last word, Angela Putivskaya told how a group of security forces invaded her apartment, two of whom were armed with machine guns, and a grueling, many-hour search was conducted at her place. "Despite my poor health," the believer said, "the employees opened the windows, creating a draft, and thereby aggravated my condition. They also put psychological pressure on me, speaking obscenely about my religion, and forbade me to take things with me and medical documents about the presence of cancer."

All this difficult time, believers tried not to be discouraged. Numerous letters of support written by co-religionists from all over the world helped them to keep their spirits up in the pre-trial detention center.

Gurami Labadze, Evgeny Godunov, Yulia Popkova and Angela Putivskaya still insist on their innocence and can appeal this verdict on appeal and cassation.

The case of Godunov et al . in Tula

Brief case history

In April 2021, in Tula and Kireevsk, security forces conducted searches at 17 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. In March of the same year, the FSB opened a criminal case against Gurami Labadze, Evgeny Godunov, Angela Putivskaya and Yulia Popkova on charges of extremism. The investigation considered it a crime to "organize religious performances" and "carry out preaching activities." After searches and interrogations, Gourami was placed under house arrest, and Angela, Yulia and Yevgeny were placed in a pre-trial detention center. A month later, they were also placed under house arrest. Later, everyone was replaced with a preventive measure on their own recognizance not to leave. The case went to court in April 2023, and in November of the year the court handed down a sentence: Godunov and Labadze — 6 years and 6 months of probation, Putivskaya and Popkova — 2 years and 6 months of probation.

Summary of the case

Region:

Tula region

Locality:

Tula

What is suspected:

"He took active actions of an organizational nature... expressed in the organization of religious performances ... and the implementation of preaching activities" (from the resolution on the initiation of criminal proceedings)

Criminal case number:

12107700001370018

Initiated:

March 25, 2021

The current stage of the case:

the appeal

is being investigated by:

The Federal Security Service of the Tula Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-142/2023

Court of First instance:

Proletarian District Court of Tula

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Nina Panarina

In the photo: Evgeny Godunov, Angela Putivskaya, Yulia Popkova and Gurami Labadze in the courtroom. November 2023