Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog have their sentences upheld

On August 22, the Rostov Regional Court upheld the sentences of Jehovah's Witnesses Alexander Skvortsov, Vladimir Moiseenko, and Valery Tibiy. This was reported by the portal "Jehovah's Witnesses: Legal Situation in Russia", the case file on the court's website. reports available In June, all three were found guilty under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). Skvortsov and Moiseenko were sentenced to seven and six years in prison, respectively, and Tibiy received a six-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor requested real terms: 8.5 years for Skvortsov and 6.5 years for Tibiy. There is currently no information about the term requested by Moiseenko.

According to the investigation, the believers, observing conspiracy measures, held collective religious services and educational classes, and were also engaged in missionary work. During the investigation, security forces conducted 17 searches, including at other Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses, and interrogated "a wide range of witnesses." Skvortsov was charged in this case in December 2021, he was taken into custody. At the same time, searches were conducted at Valery Tibiy and other Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses. The case against Tibiy and Moiseenko in the spring of 2022 and was combined into one proceeding with the Skvortsov case. They are also in a pre-trial detention center. became concluded initiated sent In August 2023, it became known that Skvortsov was in a pre-trial detention center in Chechnya. were transferred - In November 2015, Skvortsov was sentenced to 5.5 years probation on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code) and involving a minor in criminal activity (Part 4 of Article 150 of the Criminal Code). Suspended sentences and fines were given to 15 other believers, including Moiseenko, who, like the others, was exempted from paying a fine. received - The Taganrog community of Jehovah's Witnesses was recognized as extremist back in 2009, before the general ban on the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was issued, the Information and Analytical Center "Sova". notes - In 2017, the Supreme Court declared the "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" an extremist organization, liquidated it and banned its activities on the territory of Russia. All organizations of "Jehovah's Witnesses" are on the list of prohibited, after which criminal cases began against believers. Rosfinmonitoring has added hundreds of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses to its list of extremists and terrorists. Most of the people on the list are believers aged 40 to 60. admitted contributed stream contributed