A Court in Primorye Territory Sent One of Jehovah's Witnesses Anton Virich to a Penal Colony for Six Years

 RUSSIA 


A Court in Primorye Territory Sent One of Jehovah's Witnesses Anton Virich to a Penal Colony for Six Years

April 25, 2024 Primorye Territory


In Luchegorsk, on April 25, 2024, the Pozharsky District Court of Primorye Territory convicted another Jehovah's Witness. Judge Vera Novogradskaya sentenced Anton Virich, 44, to 6 years and 2 months in prison for discussing the Bible with fellow believers.


In July 2023, Anton Virich was detained by law enforcement officers. The man was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he remained until the verdict was passed.


The court has been considering the case of organizing the activities of an extremist organization since October 2023. The materials contain information only that Virich professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but there is no information about the commission of any specific crimes. Speaking in defense of the defendant, the lawyer said: "The usual actions for every believer become, in the opinion of the state prosecution, a crime. The so-called 'double standards' are obtained: it is possible to believe in God, but not to everyone and not everywhere; if you belong to the religion of a minority, your constitutional right under Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation does not apply."


The analysis of four expert opinions showed that they were drawn up in violation of the law, including the lack of documents on the education of experts, the religious research methods that make it possible to verify the validity and reliability of the conclusions were not indicated.


The lawyer also referred to the conclusion of the expert council under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, which states that the doctrinal documents of Jehovah's Witnesses did not contain calls for violent change of the foundations of the constitutional order and violation of the integrity of the Russian Federation, as well as calls for violence, incitement of social, racial, national and religious hatred, refusal to fulfill civil duties established by law, or other illegal actions.


Addressing the court with the last plea, Anton Virich emphasized: "Having listened to all the materials of the prosecution, which were contained in 15 volumes, and having listened to the testimony of witnesses, all the persons present here were convinced that there was not a single piece of evidence confirming what I was accused of. [. . .] The materials of the case contain only speculation and assumptions." In conclusion, he asked the court to take into account the advanced age of his parents: "If I am really given a real term, as the prosecution announced, 6 years and 6 months, then, most likely, I will never see my parents again and, if necessary, I will not be able to provide them with the help they need."


In Primorye, 58 civilians professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been subjected to unjustified criminal prosecution. Four of them are over 80. The European Court of Human Rights, having analyzed the charges against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, concluded that the rights of believers were violated: "It is undeniable that all religious meetings were peaceful in nature and could hardly pose a threat or cause a violation of public order (paragraph 11)."


Case of Virich in Luchegorsk


Case History


In July 2023, Anton Virich’s car was stopped by traffic police officers in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. At the same time, he learned that back in 2021 he became a defendant in a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization and was put on the wanted list. The man was detained and subsequently moved several times to pre-trial detention centers in different cities. In October 2023, the case was submitted to the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorye Territory in Luchegorsk. The prosecutor requested 6.5 years in prison for Virich. In April 2024, the believer was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony.


Criminal case


Region:

Primorye Territory

Locality:

Luchegorsk

Court case number:

42202050012000010

Case initiated:

February 11, 2022

Current case stage:

Appeal

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-37/2024 (1-217/2023)

Court of First Instance:

Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Vera Novogradskaya


In the photo: Anton Virich in the courtroom, April 2024

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