In the Krasnodar region, a Jehovah's Witness was sentenced to four years and two months in prison

On October 11, the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory sentenced Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Skachidub to four years and two months in prison in the case of an extremist organization. This was reported on a website covering the persecution of believers in Russia.

Skachidub was found guilty of involving people in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code) and participation in such an organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).

On April 29, 2020, security forces conducted searches of the Skachidub family and eight other residents of the Krasnodar villages of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya. Two months later, a criminal case was opened against the believer. The investigation considered his meetings with fellow believers “dangerous for society and the state.”

Vladimir Skachidub is a III group disabled person, and his wife Galina is a II group disabled person. In total, 11 criminal cases have been initiated against 16 believers in the Krasnodar Territory, notes the portal “Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.”

14 October 14:35 After the verdict was announced, Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Skachidub was placed in Krasnodar pre-trial detention center No. 1. The website “Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia” reports this.

• On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” as an extremist organization, liquidated it and banned its activities in Russia. In August of the same year, all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses were added to the list of prohibited ones. After this, a stream of criminal cases against representatives of the confession began.