In Prokopyevsk, Jehovah's Witness Elena Chernykh was sentenced to 3 years probation for her faith. Earlier, the same court had convicted her husband

 RUSSIA 

In Prokopyevsk, Jehovah's Witness Elena Chernykh was sentenced to 3 years probation for her faith. Earlier, the same court had convicted her husband

April 12, 2024 Kemerovo region

Elena Chernykh, a 47-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Prokopyevsk, was found guilty of extremism for continuing to profess her faith. The corresponding sentence was handed down on April 12, 2024 by the judge of the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, Elena Karamova, appointing the believer 3 years of probation.

In 2020, Elena and her husband Yuri, parents of three children, one of whom is a minor, were searched, after which they were interrogated as witnesses in the case of Andrei Vlasov (now serving time in a penal colony for faith). The Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo region opened a criminal case against Elena under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation and the court considered the practice of joint discussions of the Bible and Christian teachings, which is common for all Jehovah's Witnesses in the world, to be "participation in the activities of a prohibited religious organization." According to the investigation, Elena's actions posed a threat to the state and society, incited inter-religious strife, although during the trial not a single fact of a real crime or evidence of an intention to commit it was presented.

Speaking in court with the last word, Elena Chernykh said: "I am a believer, I have been for 30 years. In all these years, I have never had any malicious intent, let alone any actions aimed at undermining the constitutional order or the security of the Russian Federation."

In September 2023, based on similar charges, the court sentenced Elena's husband to 3 years of forced labor.

In the Kemerovo region, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith. Two of them are serving sentences in the colony for their faith.

Biography

Elena Chernykh, a mother of many children from Prokopyevsk, became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism after her husband Yuri.

Elena was born in November 1976 in the city of Prokopyevsk, Kemerovo region. She has a younger brother. The mother is already retired.

In her younger years, Elena was fond of dancing. After graduating from college, she worked as a pastry chef.

In 1995, Elena met Jehovah's Witnesses and began to study the Bible. The woman was impressed that, according to the Bible, God is a person, and he has qualities such as patience and justice. She also liked that kindness and love reign among believers. In 1998, she embarked on the Christian path.

Elena married Yuri in 2006. They had three children. In her free time, Elena likes to swim, ski and skate, as well as walk in the woods.

Searches and criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of all family members. However, Elena is supported by her co—religionists - emotionally and financially. The believer tries to continue to adhere to an active life position.

"Jesus said that Christians would be unfairly persecuted, we just faced such persecution," she says, adding that helping other people cope with their problems distracts her from her own

The case of Elena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk

A brief history of the case

In 2020, as part of the case against Andrei Vlasov, the houses of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Prokopyevsk, among them were spouses Yuri and Elena Chernykh, parents of a minor son. In May 2023, another criminal case was opened in Prokopyevsk against unidentified persons. Three months later, the investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Kemerovo region brought Elena Chernykh as an accused for carrying out "joint worship ... based on the Holy Scriptures (the Bible)." A subscription was taken from the woman not to leave. The case went to court in September 2023. In April 2024, Elena was sentenced to 3 years of probation.

Summary of the case

Region:

Kemerovo region

Locality:

Prokopyevsk

What is suspected:

"Carried out joint worship with other adherents based on the Holy Scriptures (the Bible), teaching religion, maintaining basic forms of activity in the form of conducting divine services"

Criminal case number:

12302320012000084

Case initiated:

May 25, 2023

Current stage of the case:

Appeal

Is investigating:

Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Prokopyevsk SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Kemerovo region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-26/2024 (1-343/2023;)

The Court of First Instance:

The Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, Kemerovo region

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Elena Karamova