Dmitry Terebilov served time for his faith, but was not released — the court in the second case placed him in jail

 RUSSIA 

Dmitry Terebilov served time for his faith, but was not released — the court in the second case placed him in jail

on September 9, 2024, Kostroma region

Dmitry Terebilov, whose sentence for faith ended on September 5, remains behind bars. Back on August 26, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma ruled on the detention of a believer in a pre—trial detention center in the second case - for talking about the Bible with another prisoner.

The investigation interprets such conversations as "the involvement of convicts ... in the activities of an extremist organization." At the same time, Terebilov's interlocutor cooperated with the investigation, feigning interest in the Bible.

The administration of colony No. 1 in the Kostroma region, where Dmitry was previously located, forbade him to issue those letters of support in which the name of God is present. Terebilov also faced other limitations. "No matter what he did: read the Bible, prayed to God, told others about his faith, this can be equated to a violation of the law," Dmitry's lawyer noted. At the same time, none of the above is prohibited for prisoners who profess other religious views.

The believer considers such treatment a violation of his rights, therefore, he appealed the actions of the colony administration to the district and regional courts, but they ruled not in favor of Terebilov.

The Terebilov case in Kostroma

A brief history of the case

In July 2018, police officers with a riot squad searched his apartment in the absence of Dmitry Terebilov. A year later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the believer for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Terebilov was soon searched again. The believer was placed on his own recognizance and put on the list of Rosfinmonitoring. In September 2020, Dmitry's case went to court, which a year later sentenced him to 3 years in a high-security colony. The appeal, and then the cassation, left the verdict unchanged. Terebilov served his sentence in correctional colony No. 1 in the Kostroma region. In April 2023, Dmitry became a defendant in a new criminal case for talking about the Bible with another prisoner. At the end of the sentence, the believer was left in jail, where he is awaiting a new sentence.

Summary of the case

Region:

Kostroma region

Locality:

Kostroma

What is suspected:

"Joint confession and dissemination of faith, familiarization of people with the Holy Scriptures, missionary activity, joint and personal worship" (from the verdict of the court of first instance)

The number of the criminal case:

11902340011000049

Case initiated:

June 13, 2019

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigates:

SO in the Central district of the SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Kostroma region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-18/2021 (1-375/2020)

Court:

Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma

Judge:

Ekaterina Molodova

In the photo: Dmitry Terebilov at one of the video conference meetings, January 2022.