Regional Court Upholds Suspended Sentence for Bible Talks for Elderly Believer from Kostroma

 RUSSIA


Regional Court Upholds Suspended Sentence for Bible Talks for Elderly Believer from Kostroma

February 29, 2024 Kostroma Region


On February 21, 2024, Valentina Samus, 74, appeared before the Court of Appeal for her faith. The Collegium of the Kostroma Regional Court approved the sentence of the first instance - 6 years suspended. The believer can appeal this decision to the court of cassation.


According to Samus, her actions were peaceful, and the charge does not contain any indication of any calls for violence or religious hatred and enmity. "The court found me guilty not for committing a crime, but for my religious beliefs, for my peaceful and law-abiding way of life, for a sincere desire to selflessly help other people, talking about what I myself learned from the Bible," Valentina said in her final statement. "In fact, the court forbade me to practice the unforbidden religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and to worship God according to biblical canons."


In the Kostroma region, four of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their religious views. One of them, Dmitriy Terebilov, is serving his sentence in a strict regime colony.


The case of Samus in Kostroma


Case history


In March 2022, searches were carried out in Kostroma against four women, the eldest of whom, Valentina Samus, was 72 years old at that time. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against her under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In December of the same year, she was charged with organizing this activity. The reason was the hidden records of worship and conversations about the Bible, which is not prohibited by law. In March 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested seven years in prison for the elderly woman. In December, the court handed down a sentence: six years suspended. In February 2024, the appeal upheld this decision.


Criminal case


Region:

Kostroma Region

Locality:

Kostroma

Suspected of:

"Organized and took part in a religious meeting - a collective worship service remotely via video conferencing, consisting of sequential actions: reading prayers to Jehovah God and singing songs from special texts of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, watching videos on religious topics, quoting articles from the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, reading what was read, practicing ministry skills" (from the decision on involvement in as an accused)

Court case number:

12202340010000010

Case initiated:

February 17, 2022

Current case stage:

The verdict entered into force

Investigating:

Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-51/2023

Court of First Instance:

Dimitrovsky District Court of Kostroma

 Judge of the Court of First Instance:

 Maria Zaikina

Comentarios

Publicar un comentario

Entradas populares de este blog

In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search

 RUSSIA  In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search July 2, 2024 Karelia On June 21, 2024, the judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court, Natalya Zalevskaya, sent Sergey Fedorov, 50, to the pre-trial detention center. The day before, the believer was searched. Back in March 2024, law enforcement officers first came to the Fedorov spouses in the city of Tolyatti, where they then lived, with an inspection order. The apartment of the believers was invaded by 9 people without identifying themselves. The spouses were taken to different rooms, Fedorov was handcuffed and hit on the head. Then 8 people dispersed around the apartment, one stayed with Sergei, holding him on the floor on his knees with his hands clasped behind his back, raised high. The Fedorovs were not informed of their rights, nor were they allowed to make a phone call to their relatives. During the 4-hour "inspection", the law enforcement officers, according to believers, planted several ...
Leer más

The Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses—Eight Years in a Penal Colony

 RUSSIA  The Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses—Eight Years in a Penal Colony May 21, 2024 Samara Region On May 16, 2024, by the decision of the judicial board of the Samara Regional Court, the sentence to Aleksandr Chagan, 53, entered into force. He became the sixth in the list of Jehovah's Witnesses who were sent to a penal colony for such a long time by Russian courts. "In my case, Christian values and Christian qualities were estimated at 8 years in a penal colony," the believer commented on this occasion. In his last speech, Chagan told the court of appeal that he has been living according to biblical standards for more than 20 years, and this has changed his life only for the better: "There is no reason to accuse someone who learns to show love for people and respect for their opinions, their life position of inciting hatred and enmity." The believer intends to appeal the verdict and the decision of the appellate i...
Leer más

Conscientious objector's 6 months in military detention

 KAZAKHSTAN Conscientious objector's 6 months in military detention 24 May 2024 In autumn 2022, Jehovah's Witness Daniil Smal presented the Conscription Office a certificate from the Jehovah's Witness Centre that he is a "religious minister". This should have exempted him from conscription. He was summoned on 17 May 2023, and forcibly transferred to a military unit. He was freed only in November 2023 when Almaty Military Garrison Court ruled his conscription illegal. The Military Court rejected the military's appeal in April 2024. Smal's conscientious objection "may lead to mass negative consequences and wide public resonance", the military claimed. Jehovah's Witness Daniil Smal spent from 17 May 2023 in detention in a military unit until Almaty Military Garrison Court ruled on 9 November 2023 that the call-up decision in his case should be revoked and he should be freed. On 16 April 2024, the Military Court rejected the Conscription Office...
Leer más