The Appeal Upheld the Verdict of Potapov and Gobozev. They Will Pay a Fine for Practicing an Unbanned Religion

 RUSSIA 


The Appeal Upheld the Verdict of Potapov and Gobozev. They Will Pay a Fine for Practicing an Unbanned Religion

June 19, 2024 Udmurtia


On June 18, 2024, the Judicial Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic upheld the verdict against Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov. The men will have to pay 450,000 and 400,000 rubles, respectively. The court ignored the arguments that the defendants cited in their appeals.


Gobozev and Potapov consider the verdict of the first instance illegal. They are convinced that they are being persecuted only because they are Christian Jehovah's Witnesses, professing their religion in ways not prohibited by law without signs of any extremism. "Finding me guilty," said Sergei Gobozev, "the court did not determine what consequences came as a result of my actions ... and did not reflect them in the verdict."


Sergey Gobozev drew the attention of the Court of Appeal to numerous violations of procedural law, including those related to the examination and material evidence. None of the witnesses interviewed had ever heard extremist statements from him.


Mikhail Potapov stressed that he was accused of participating in peaceful worship services, which he did not even attend. He also noted in his complaint that the state and all officials are obliged to maintain neutrality and impartiality, they do not have the right to assess the legitimacy of religious beliefs and determine what they can believe and what not.


In reaching its decision, the Court of Appeal did not apply the provisions of article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, according to which everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.


The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk


Case History


Pensioner and veteran of labor Sergey Gobozev and repair technician Mikhail Potapov from Votkinsk were detained in January 2021. The Investigative Committee charged them with organizing the activity of an extremist organization only because the men gathered with friends to discuss the Bible. As a result, Potapov spent 4 months in pre-trial detention and Gobozev – under house arrest. Both were then banned from certain activities. In September 2021, the case went to court. During the hearings, it became known that prosecution witnesses had been pressured and their testimonies falsified. In March 2024, the prosecutor requested 6.5 years imprisonment for the believers, but the court imposed fines on both: 450,000 rubles for Gobozev and 400,000 for Potapov. The appeal court left the ruling in force.


Criminal case


Region:

Udmurtia

Locality:

Votkinsk

Suspected of:

"In the course of illegal religious meetings organized and directed by Gobozev and Potapov, articles from the book 'Holy Scripture - New World Translation' were studied" (from the decision to prosecute as an accused)

Court case number:

12102940001000201

Case initiated:

January 20, 2021

Current case stage:

The verdict entered into force

Investigating:

Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-9/2023 (1-25/2022; 1-542/2021)

Court:

Votkinsk District Court of the Udmurt Republic

Judge:

Tamara Makarova


In the photo: Source: website of the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic.

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