Another Guilty Verdict for Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, One of the Convicts Is a Father of Six

 CRIMEA


Another Guilty Verdict for Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, One of the Convicts Is a Father of Six

July 3, 2024 Crimea


On July 1, 2024, Judge Valentin Shchukalskiy of the Krasnogvardeyskoye District Court of the Republic of Crimea convicted two Jehovah's Witnesses, Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfyonovich. The court sentenced them to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4 years.


The story of the persecution of Gerashchenko and Parfyonovich began back in 2022. In September, V. A. Novikov, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea, opened a criminal case against Sergey Parfyonovich under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A few days later, a 6-hour search took place in Sergey's house. At that moment, his minor daughter and his elderly father, a disabled person of group I, were in the house. Parfyonovich was detained, placed in a pre-trial detention center for a month and a half, and then under house arrest. Six months later, in the same case, Yuriy Gerashchenko was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. He spent 269 days under house arrest before being released under a ban on certain activities.


In July 2023, the case went to court. It took the judge a year to consider it. In his final statement, Sergey Parfyonovich said: "The prosecution believes that worship of Jehovah is extremism. It is for my participation in the divine service that I am in the dock. That is, in order for me to 'repent,' I need to give up my worship of Jehovah. I can't, and I don't want to, do it!" He asked to be cleared of all charges and the label of an extremist. Yuriy Gerashchenko also disagrees with the decision. They can appeal the verdict to a higher court.


In Crimea, 11 of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith.


The case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye


Case History


In September 2022, armed security forces raided the family of Sergey Parfyonovich, the father of six children. They searched the believer's house for 6 hours in the presence of his minor daughter and elderly disabled father. After that, Parfyonovich was detained and taken to Simferopol for interrogation. He spent 2 days in a temporary detention center and a month and a half in a pre-trial detention center, and then he was transferred to house arrest. The case was conducted by investigator V. A. Novikov, who also investigated the case of believers from Yalta. He accused Sergey of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. As part of this case, the same charge was brought against Yuriy Gerashchenko in March 2023. In July 2023, the case went to court. At the same time, the believers were placed under a ban on certain actions, but two weeks later they were again placed under house arrest. In December 2023, Gerashchenko was again placed under a ban on certain actions. On July 1, 2024, the court sentenced Sergey and Yuriy to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.


Criminal case


Region:

Crimea

Locality:

Krasnogvardeyskoye

Suspected of:

"Acting intentionally committed active actions of an organizational nature expressed in the organization of propaganda meetings at which the texts and religious provisions of Jehovah's Witnesses were discussed" (from the decision on the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention)

Court case number:

12202350020000163

Case initiated:

September 19, 2022

Current case stage:

Verdict did not take effect

Investigating:

Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-8/2024 (1-259/2023)

Court of First Instance:

Krasnogvardeisky District Court of the Republic of Crimea

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Valentin Shukalsky


In the photо: Sergey Parfenovich and Yuriy Gerashchenko in the courtroom, October 4, 2023.

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