The prosecutor demands that Jehovah's Witness Yakka be sentenced to seven and a half years in prison

The believer is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, engaging in its activities and participating in it.

On June 22, 2021, during a debate in the Solombalsky District Court of Arkhangelsk, the prosecutor demanded that Evgeny Yakka, a follower of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, be sentenced to seven and a half years in prison with restriction of liberty for two and a half years and the transfer of two arrested cars and seized equipment to the state. The believer is accused of cc. 1, 1.1, 2 st. 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of the activities of an extremist organization, involvement in its activities and participation in it).

According to investigators, no later than December 2017, Yakku, " in order to continue the religious ideas " of the liquidated local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, organized " group meetings in several apartments in Arkhangelsk and the Primorsky District to preach sermons and call on citizens to study special literature in order to find new followers, including minors ." The Investigative Committee believes that together with two accomplices whose criminal prosecution was terminated due to active repentance, Yakku involved the underage son of one of them in the activities of the organization.

The names of the believers whose cases were terminated were not reported by the Investigative Committee.

The criminal case was initiated at the beginning of 2019, Yakku was given a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. In February 2020, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug announced the completion of the investigation of the case.

The accusation of Jehovah's Witnesses of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization is due to the fact that in April 2017 the Supreme Court of Russia decided to recognize the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist. We believe that this decision, which entailed the mass persecution of believers under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code, had no legal grounds, and we regard it as a manifestation of religious discrimination.

Sources

• The prosecutor requested for Yevgeny Yakka from Arkhangelsk 7.5 years in prison and 2.5 years of restriction of freedom. The court plans to deliver a verdict on July 16. Message from Jehovah's Witnesses. 2021. June 23.