A court in Elista has toughened the punishment for three believers. A court in Elista has toughened the punishment for three believers. Over Online Bible Discussions

 RUSSIA 


A court in Elista has toughened the punishment for three believers. A court in Elista has toughened the punishment for three believers. Over Online Bible Discussions

September 19, 2024 Kalmykia


On September 17, 2024, the Supreme Court of Kalmykia reclassified Kishta Tutinova's actions from participation to organizing the activity of an extremist organization, appointing her to four years suspended sentence with a probationary period of three years and restriction of freedom for one year. The court added six months to the additional restriction of freedom for Yekaterina Menkova and Tsagan Khalgayeva.


In June 2024, the Elista City Court of the Republic of Kalmykia sentenced three believers to suspended sentences: Khalgayeva and Menkova to two years, and Tutinova to three years. The court called it illegal for women to talk peacefully about God and the Bible. Assistant prosecutor Marina Bugdayeva appealed the sentence as "excessively lenient".


The decision of the court of appeal has entered into force, but the believers still do not admit guilt. Speaking in the court of first instance, Tutinova emphasized: "I have never carried out extremist activities and there was no intent. I have never had a motive of enmity or hatred, no one was hurt, no one was hurt. I am a believer and a law-abiding citizen."


The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista


Case History


In February 2023, the FSB opened a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization against pensioner Kishta Tutinova from Elista and invaded with searches of her and her co-religionists. According to the investigation, she “held religious meetings and directly participated in them by means of online conferences.” The woman spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, more than 4 months under house arrest and about 7 months under a ban on certain actions. Tsagan Khalgayeva and Yekaterina Menkova were witnesses in the case, but in December 2023 they were charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization. In February 2024, the case went to court. Three months later, the women were sentenced to suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 3 years. The appeal satisfied the complaint of the prosecutor’s office, reclassifying the actions of Kishta Tutinova from part 2 to part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and assigning her 4 years suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. Menkova and Khalgayeva were sentenced to an additional restriction of freedom for 6 months.


Criminal case


Region:

Kalmykia

Locality:

Elista

Suspected of:

"Conducts religious meetings and directly participates in them in the mode of online conferences, and also involves residents of the region in the activities of this organization for the purpose of propaganda"

Court case number:

12307850001000001

Case initiated:

February 16, 2023

Current case stage:

The verdict entered into force

Investigating:

FSB Directorate for the Republic of Kalmykia

Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:

282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)

Court case number:

1-112/2024

Court of First Instance:

Elista City Court

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Alexey Polevshchikov


In the photo: Kishta Tutinova, Tsagan Khalgayeva and Yekaterina Menkova.

Comentarios

Publicar un comentario

Entradas populares de este blog

In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search

 RUSSIA  In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search July 2, 2024 Karelia On June 21, 2024, the judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court, Natalya Zalevskaya, sent Sergey Fedorov, 50, to the pre-trial detention center. The day before, the believer was searched. Back in March 2024, law enforcement officers first came to the Fedorov spouses in the city of Tolyatti, where they then lived, with an inspection order. The apartment of the believers was invaded by 9 people without identifying themselves. The spouses were taken to different rooms, Fedorov was handcuffed and hit on the head. Then 8 people dispersed around the apartment, one stayed with Sergei, holding him on the floor on his knees with his hands clasped behind his back, raised high. The Fedorovs were not informed of their rights, nor were they allowed to make a phone call to their relatives. During the 4-hour "inspection", the law enforcement officers, according to believers, planted several ...
Leer más

The Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses—Eight Years in a Penal Colony

 RUSSIA  The Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses—Eight Years in a Penal Colony May 21, 2024 Samara Region On May 16, 2024, by the decision of the judicial board of the Samara Regional Court, the sentence to Aleksandr Chagan, 53, entered into force. He became the sixth in the list of Jehovah's Witnesses who were sent to a penal colony for such a long time by Russian courts. "In my case, Christian values and Christian qualities were estimated at 8 years in a penal colony," the believer commented on this occasion. In his last speech, Chagan told the court of appeal that he has been living according to biblical standards for more than 20 years, and this has changed his life only for the better: "There is no reason to accuse someone who learns to show love for people and respect for their opinions, their life position of inciting hatred and enmity." The believer intends to appeal the verdict and the decision of the appellate i...
Leer más

Conscientious objector's 6 months in military detention

 KAZAKHSTAN Conscientious objector's 6 months in military detention 24 May 2024 In autumn 2022, Jehovah's Witness Daniil Smal presented the Conscription Office a certificate from the Jehovah's Witness Centre that he is a "religious minister". This should have exempted him from conscription. He was summoned on 17 May 2023, and forcibly transferred to a military unit. He was freed only in November 2023 when Almaty Military Garrison Court ruled his conscription illegal. The Military Court rejected the military's appeal in April 2024. Smal's conscientious objection "may lead to mass negative consequences and wide public resonance", the military claimed. Jehovah's Witness Daniil Smal spent from 17 May 2023 in detention in a military unit until Almaty Military Garrison Court ruled on 9 November 2023 that the call-up decision in his case should be revoked and he should be freed. On 16 April 2024, the Military Court rejected the Conscription Office...
Leer más