A Court in Kurgan Fined a Disabled Man Suffering from Cancer 400,000 Rubles for His Faith

 RUSSIA 

A Court in Kurgan Fined a Disabled Man Suffering from Cancer 400,000 Rubles for His Faith

August 8, 2024 Kurgan Region

One of Jehovah's Witnesses Anatoliy Isakov, 59, was found guilty of extremism for holding peaceful worship services. On August 8, 2024, the judge of the Kurgan City Court, Sergey Lytkin, imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles on him, reducing it to 400,000, given the believer's stay in custody.

The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The court also ordered Isakov to pay procedural costs in the amount of 6,900 rubles. The prosecutor asked for a six-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for Isakov.

The hearings lasted about a year. The charge of organizing the activity of an extremist organization was based on the testimony of witnesses. However, some of them were not acquainted with the defendant, others did not confirm their testimony given during the preliminary investigation, and a secret witness said that Isakov's actions did not violate anyone's rights. "The charge against me is extremely unreasonable," Anatoliy Isakov said in court. "Expressing hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I treat people of other religions and nationalities with respect. Everyone who knows me can attest to that."

The criminal prosecution began in July 2021, when FSB officers searched Isakov's apartment. The believer was placed in a pre-trial detention center, despite the fact that he needed to undergo a course of chemotherapy monthly. In addition, he lost the opportunity to take painkillers, which he needed due to spinal surgery. It was difficult for the believer to walk. For a month and a half, he sought to mitigate the preventive measure, but only after a request from the ECHR to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and an inspection by the Human Rights Ombudsman, the court released Isakov from the pre-trial detention center, admitting that he had an illness that prevented him from being kept in detention.

After his release, an electronic bracelet was placed on the believer's leg, and every week he had to report to the Penitentiary Inspectorate. Since Isakov was included in the list of Rosfinmonitoring, his bank account was blocked, and it was difficult for him to receive a disability pension.

Isakov told what helped him not to lose heart: "I tried to be positive, observed hygiene and routine in the pre-trial detention center. When he received parcels from relatives and friends, he shared what he could with his cellmates. That also brought me joy. After all, it is more happiness to give than to receive." For 1.5 months in the pre-trial detention center, Anatoliy received about 500 letters of support from all over the world. Isakov coped with emotional and material difficulties, thanks to the support of friends and fellow believers. "I personally felt the true brotherly love that Jesus spoke about," Anatoly shared his feelings.

Another six Jehovah's Witnesses from the Kurgan region are being prosecuted on similar charges, three of them are defending their beliefs in court.

The case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan

Case History

In July 2021, the investigation accused Anatoliy Isakov, a disabled person of group II, of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Valeriy Minsafin of participating in it. The next day, the believers were searched, and the men were placed in temporary detention facilities. The investigator released Minsafin from custody, and the court sent Isakov, who can hardly move, fights oncology and needs constant intake of potent prescription drugs, to a pre-trial detention center for 1.5 months, interrupting the course of chemotherapy, which is vital for a believer. After a request from the ECHR and human rights activists to the Russian authorities, the court released Isakov under a ban on certain actions. Minsafin was cleared of charges in March 2023. In June 2023, the case of Anatoliy Isakov went to court. It is based, among other things, on the testimony of a secret witness. In July 2024, the prosecutor requested a 6.5-year suspended sentence for the believer. In August 2024, the court imposed a fine of 400,000 rubles on him.

Criminal case

Region:

Kurgan Region

Locality:

Kurgan

Suspected of:

According to the investigation, "he carried out ... religious meetings... including through video conferencing using the Zoom platform."

Court case number:

12102370012000107

Initiated:

July 13, 2021

Current case stage:

verdict did not take effect

Investigating:

The First Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Kurgan Region

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.2 (2)

Court case number:

1-44/2024 (1-1069/2023)

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Sergey Lytkin

 Court of First Instance:

 Kurgan City Court of Kurgan Region

In the photo: Anatoliy Isakov with his wife, Tatyana, August 7, 2024.x