Translated material
Pensioner turned from witness in case of extremist organization to suspect
An elderly resident of the village of Razdolnoye in the Primorsky Territory became a suspect in a case of participation in an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). This was reported on the website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.
Lyudmila Shut was a witness in the case of her fellow villager Grigory Bubnov, who was convicted under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). According to the website, the pensioner has a disability of the second group.
- The investigation stated that Bubnov organized a cell of the banned “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” in the village of Razdolnoye: he preached, organized meetings and speeches, and distributed extremist literature. The Nadezhdinsky District Court in January sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment, depriving him of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for a period of 5 years with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year, with a probationary period of 5 years.
- In April 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as an extremist organization and banned its activities throughout the country. In August, all communities of Jehovah's Witnesses were added to the list of prohibited ones.
- In February 2019, the court handed down the first sentence in connection with the persecution of supporters of Jehovah's Witnesses with real imprisonment - Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was sentenced to six years in prison. Also, real sentences on charges of organizing an extremist organization were awarded to one Jehovah's Witness from the Tomsk region ( 6 years in prison), a Jehovah's Witness from the Penza region ( 6 years ), and six Jehovah's Witnesses from the Saratov region ( from 2 to 3.5 years ). Another 22 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Primorsky Territory are facing criminal prosecution.