The regional court approved the sentence of Jehovah's Witness Moiseenko

A suspended sentence was approved for a Jehovah's Witness from Zeya, Amur Region.

On September 9, 2021, the Amur Regional Court confirmed the sentence imposed on Jehovah's Witness Konstantin Moiseenko. In July, the Zeya District Court sentenced him to six years of suspended imprisonment with a four-year probationary period and restriction of freedom for a year under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organizing the activities of an extremist organization).

The case against Moiseenko was initiated in March 2019. During the investigation, the believer was under recognizance not to leave. In August 2020, the case went to trial.

The accusation of Jehovah's Witnesses being involved 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 as extremist. We believe that this decision, which resulted in massive criminal prosecution of believers, had no legal basis, and we regard it as a manifestation of religious discrimination.​

Sources

• An appeal in the Amur region upheld the sentence of believer Konstantin Moiseenko - 6 years probation for convictions. Message from Jehovah's Witnesses. 2021. September 9.