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 RUSSIA  The last word of the defendant Maxim Zavrazhny in Nizhny Novgorod May 30, 2022 Nizhny Novgorod region From the courtroom Speaking before the court, the believer pleaded not guilty. He stated: "I have never participated in rallies or encouraged the overthrow of the government, I have not been a member of armed groups aimed at inciting social, racial and religious discord. It would be contrary to my principles as a Christian." Transcript of the court session in the Moscow District Court of Nizhny Novgorod dated 05/30/2022 in the case 1-47/2022 (1-455/2021) on charges of Zavrazhnov Maxim Mikhailovich of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Maxim Mikhailovich Zavrazhnov: Your Honor, I am grateful for the opportunity to give me the last word today, and I am glad to do it. I was baptized as a Jehovah's Witness in July 2000. For me, this was an important and conscious step, because, as the Holy Scriptures say, ...

 RUSSIA  The last word of the defendant Evgeny Zinich in Krasnoyarsk June 23, 2022 Krasnoyarsk Territory From the courtroom Despite the fact that Yevgeny Zinich lost his wife during the court proceedings, he did not become embittered. Addressing the court with the last word, the believer said: "It is not permissible to hate, humiliate or otherwise treat others badly, even if we are being treated unfairly." Transcript of the court session in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk dated 06/23/2022 in the case 1-83/2022 (1-865/2021) on charges of Zinich Evgeny Nikolaevich of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Zinich Evgeny Nikolaevich: Dear court, dear participants in the process! I called my speech: "Your name is written with a capital letter." I will explain this a little later, but at the beginning I would like to express my gratitude. Dear Natalia Alexandrovna! Thank you for your careful considerat...

 RUSSIA  The last word of the defendant Yuri Temirbulatov in Moscow August 3, 2022 Moscow From the courtroom Speaking before the court, Yuri Temirbulatov stated that extremism is categorically incompatible with his life values: "For me, as a believer, the commandments are obligatory: "Love your Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your thoughts" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." Transcript of the court session in the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow dated 08/03/2022 in the case 01-0122/2022 on charges of Temirbulatov Yuri Rafikovich and Serebryakov Alexander Georgievich of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Temirbulatov Yuri Rafikovich: The first thing I would like to start with, addressing the last word, is to express my gratitude. Thank you, dear court, for listening attentively and patiently to the participants in the trial in order to understand the essence of this...

 RUSSIA  Court of Cassation Upholds the Guilty Verdict for Faith of Miner Valery Vyaznikov August 27, 2024 Primorye Territory The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok did not satisfy Valery Vyaznikov's cassation appeal against the verdict. On August 20, 2024, the panel of judges decided to leave the sentence unchanged - 2.5 years suspended for talking about God. Speaking before the court, Valeriy expressed his disagreement with the verdict and the appeal ruling. He said: "I was actually sentenced for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, not for doing anything illegal. The basis of the criminal case was the fact that the only time I was present at a discussion of the Bible with a person who was interested in this book... I just wanted the person I had a conversation with to get accurate knowledge from the Bible... and find peace of mind." Already 58 Jehovah's Witnesses from Primorye Territory, including Valery Vyaznikov, have faced criminal ...

 RUSSIA  Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki Lepskiy Vladimir Updated: August 27, 2024 Name: Lepskiy Vladimir Anatoliyevich Date of Birth: July 1, 1966 Current status: accused Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2) Current restrictions: recognizance agreement Biography Vladimir Lepskiy was first prosecuted for his beliefs in February 2022, when Jehovah's Witnesses in Kuban were subjected to mass searches. Vladimyr was born in 1966 in the village of Platonovka, 80 kilometers from Lugansk. As a child, he was fond of football. He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother is retired, their father is no longer alive. Having received a secondary specialized education, Vladimir began working on the railway as a train compiler, later he worked as a mechanic for the repair of gas equipment. Vladimir met his future wife at work, and in 2005 they got married. In her free time, Olga loves to sew. Her husband's hobby is fishing. Vladimir was the first in the family to becom...

 RUSSIA  The last word of the defendant Alexander Serebryakov in Moscow August 3, 2022 Moscow From the courtroom Speaking in court, the believer compared the repressions in the USSR and the persecution of faith in modern Russia: "History repeats itself. Only the term "anti-Soviet activity" was replaced by "extremist activity". And the activity itself has not changed: It's still Bible study and worship." Transcript of the court session in the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow dated 08/03/2022 in the case 01-0122/2022 on the charges of Serebryakov Alexander Georgievich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Serebryakov Alexander Georgievich: Dear Court, Let me begin by thanking you, Sergey Nikolaevich, for trying to get to the bottom of the matter. I have heard a good rumor about you that you are famous for this. You are passing — as some defendants and police officers have said —...

 RUSSIA The Verdict in One of the Two Cases Against Yevgeniy Sokolov Has Entered into Force. The Sentence Remained Unchanged - Three Years Suspended August 24, 2024 Amur Region On August 20, 2024, an appeal in the Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict in the case of Yevgeniy Sokolov in Zeya. The believer could not attend the court hearing in person, so he took part in it via video conferencing. Addressing the panel of appeals, Yevgeniy stated that Jehovah's Witnesses are citizens who respect the authorities, observe the laws of their country, pay taxes and do not participate in protests. He noted: "We don't pretend to be law-abiding people ... We truly serve God, and our words are not at variance with our deeds." The believer was criminally charged for "preparing and conducting religious meetings." In this regard, he reminded the court that the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federati...

 RUSSIA  New Raids Against Believers in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol. Three women Became Suspects in Extremism Cases August 26, 2024 Karachay-Cherkessia,   Stavropol Territory On August 9, 2024, searches were carried out in three homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol. For believers, this is the third invasion of the security forces. Three criminal cases were initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In the village of Kardonikskaya, searches were carried out at the homes of Maria Ogoreva, 62, and her daughter Svetlana, as well as at Tatyana Pasynkova, 59, the mother of Aleksey Pasynkov. On the same day in Stavropol, FSB officers searched the house of Aleksey himself, this time in the case against his wife Yulia. The couple are raising a disabled child who is completely dependent on the help of his parents. The criminal cases against Maria, Tatyana and Yulia were opened on July 23, 2024. The...

 RUSSIA  The last word of the defendant Alexander Salnikov in Magnitogorsk August 22, 2024 Chelyabinsk region Defending his innocence, the believer said: "Judging a person who gathered with friends to study the Bible, learned to love and live peacefully, satisfying his spiritual needs, is like judging a paralyzed person who does not get out of bed for crossing the street in the wrong place." Transcript of the court session in Ordzhonikidzevsky District Court of Magnitogorsk dated 08/22/2024 in the case 1-431/2024 on charges of Salnikov Alexander Viktorovich of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Salnikov Alexander Viktorovich: Dear Court, Your Honor, I am grateful to you for the opportunity to make a final statement. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who took part in this trial in one way or another. Thank you, Your Honor, Olga Sergeevna, for your unbiased attitude to this trial. Thank you, Evgenia Al...