Another Conviction of One of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region. Andrey Okhapkin to Pay 540,000 Rubles for the Peaceful Practice of His Faith

 RUSSIA 


Another Conviction of One of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region. Andrey Okhapkin to Pay 540,000 Rubles for the Peaceful Practice of His Faith

August 16, 2024 Ivanovo Region


A year and a half of hearings in the case of Andrey Okhapkin in the Kineshma City Court ended with a guilty verdict. On August 13, 2024, the believer was fined for organizing extremist activities — by this the investigation meant talking about the Bible, performing religious songs and praying.


The believer does not admit his guilt. In his last plea, he stated: "I don't need to resort to illegal actions to practice my religion. Neither it nor the ways in which it is practiced are prohibited by Russian law or the courts." Andrey continued: "My God... demands from his worshipers to show love, mercy, peacefulness, kindness, respect for all people regardless of their nationality, religion and social status. Also, my God demands respect for authority. What kind of extremism can we talk about?!"


In November 2021, FSB senior investigator R. A. Drozdov opened a criminal case against Andrey Okhapkin. A few days later, officers under the leadership of Drozdov searched the believer's home. Okhapkin was sent to a pre-trial detention center for three months, then he was under house arrest for five months.


After his arrest, Andrey, a college physics teacher, lost his job — his family lost their main source of income. On the eve of his arrest, he suffered COVID-19 in a serious form and did not have time to fully recover. Andrey spent the first three weeks in the pre-trial detention center in a punishment cell. In the cell where he was later transferred, the lights were on day and night. At first, he was not allowed to see his wife and daughter, but he could write them letters. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received more than 400 letters of support from friends and family.


Okhapkin's case went to court in December 2022. The hearings lasted a year and a half. The accusation was based on the testimony of expert Belova, who earlier in a video interview expressed her dislike for the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the expert opinion, the specialist attributed phrases to the believer that he did not pronounce. In addition, at the trial, it turned out that the protocol of the interrogation of one of the witnesses contained testimony that he did not give.


In total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses were prosecuted for their beliefs in the Ivanovo region. Most of them have already been convicted.


Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma


Case History


In November 2021, in the city of Kineshma, FSB officers conducted searches in six families of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The day before, a criminal case was opened against Andrey Okhapkin because of a conversation about the Bible, which the investigators considered extremism. The believer spent almost three months in a pre-trial detention center. In February 2022, he was placed under house arrest for 5 months, later the restriction measure was relaxed. In December, Andrey Okhapkin’s case went to court. The accusation is based on the testimony of a secret witness. In August 2024, the court sentenced Okhapkin to 540,000 rubles fine.


Criminal case


Region:

Ivanovo Region

Locality:

Kineshma

Suspected of:

According to the investigation, he "resumed extremist activities on the territory of the city of Kineshma."

Court case number:

12107240001000041

Case initiated:

November 18, 2021

Current case stage:

Verdict did not take effect

Investigating:

Branch of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Ivanovo Region

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-10/2024 (1-66/2023; 1-459/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Kineshemsky City Court of Ivanovo Region

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Evgeny Krotov


In the photo: Andrey and Irina Okhapkin.

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