The Third Appeal in the Case of Dmitriy Barmakin Sentenced Him to 8 Years for Peaceful Religious Beliefs

 RUSSIA 


The Third Appeal in the Case of Dmitriy Barmakin Sentenced Him to 8 Years for Peaceful Religious Beliefs

February 6, 2024 Primorye Territory


On February 6, 2024, another appeal upheld the conviction of Dmitriy Barmakin: 8 years in a penal colony for believing in God. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.


The litigation of the peaceful believer has been going on for more than 4.5 years — since June 2019. During this time, he was acquitted and then convicted again, he spent 550 days behind bars, separated from his wife, who is also on trial for her faith. This was the first incident when the law enforcement began to practice criminal prosecution across family members.


Although the 2017 Supreme Court decision to liquidate legal entities does not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their religion, almost 800 believers have already been prosecuted, and the number of searches has exceeded 2,000.


Barmakin's case in Vladivostok


Case history


Dmitry Barmakin came to Vladivostok from the Crimea to take care of his sick mother-in-law and her elderly mother. In July 2018, law enforcement officers in masks and with weapons broke into their house with a search. Dmitriy was arrested, and he spent 1.5 years in jail. The judge returned the criminal case to the prosecutor due to the ambiguity of the charges. In April 2021, the case went to court again, and 7 months later, Judge Stanislav Salnikov fully acquitted Dmitry Barmakin. In April 2022, the regional court overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial. As a result, the believer received 8 years in prison. In August 2023, an appeal overturned this verdict as well, released Barmakin, and returned the case for a third trial to the court of first instance. This decision was appealed by the prosecutor, and the cassation sent the case to a different composition of the court of appeal, which upheld the guilty sentence: 8 years in a penal colony.


Criminal case


Region:

Primorye Territory

Locality:

Vladivostok

Suspected of:

According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as "organizing the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)

Court case number:

11802050005000051

Initiated:

July 27, 2018

Current case stage:

The verdict entered into force

Investigating:

Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-43/2023 (1-391/2022; 1-305/2021; 1-21/2020; 1-388/2019)

[i18n] Considers on the merits:

 Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok

 Judge of the Court of First Instance:

 Larisa Smolenkova

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