The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk

Around 7:00 there is a soft knock on the door of the apartment where the spouses Pavel and Elena Popov live with their young daughter in the city of Yemanzhelinsk (Chelyabinsk region). The owners are informed through the door that there was an accident with their car in the yard. When they open the door, they see about 10 masked people with machine guns and a sledgehammer to kick down the door. Pavel Popov's apartment is being searched. Information carriers containing family photos and videos are seized from the believer.

Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for especially important cases of the third department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against Pavel Popov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigator considers the performance of religious songs, prayers and conversations about the Bible by a believer as criminal activity.

Judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, Leonid Bobrov, orders a search of Pavel Popov's home in Yemanzhelinsk.

The Popov family is being searched again. After the search, the entire Popov family, including their 13-year-old daughter, is taken to the Chelyabinsk Investigative Committee for interrogation.

The criminal case against Pavel Popov is submitted to the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk. It will be considered by judge Maria Melnikova.

Pavel Popov speaks with an attitude to the accusation, expressing his disagreement. He draws attention to the fact that the investigation freely and illegally interprets the decision of the Supreme Court. The defendant claims that by professing his faith, he was only exercising his right to freedom of religion, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The court interrogates police agent Ruzayeva via video conferencing. According to her, she attended two worship meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. She did not see Pavel Popov there, but only heard his voice. Witness Ruzayeva admits that Popov did not encourage those present to participate in the activities of the banned organization and did not promote superiority over other religions.

Interrogation of another prosecution witness. The woman, who during the preliminary investigation stated that Pavel Popov and his wife talked to her on religious topics, does not recognize the defendant in the courtroom.

Since earlier in the investigator's office the woman allegedly identified Pavel and his wife Elena from photographs, the prosecutor requests that the court take into account the written testimony that the witness gave during the preliminary investigation. Judge Maria Melnikova granted the request.

The court interrogates the senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Zavarnitsyna. She says that the defendant, together with his wife, came to her place of residence and talked about his faith, but did not involve him in any organization.

Although the witness could not identify Popov during the preliminary investigation, she immediately recognizes him in court. The prosecutor reads out the written testimony of the witness, as they differ from her words at the hearing.

The court interrogates Elena Popova, the defendant's wife. She says that Bible principles changed Pavel's life for the better. Elena says: "My husband has never been and I am sure he will never be an extremist, as this contradicts the very essence of a Christian, which he is."

Elena states that she has never met any of the women who claim that the Popovs discussed the Bible with them. Popova also notes that she never had a long dark dress and scarf, in which she was allegedly seen by one of the prosecution witnesses.

The court examines information about the location of the defendant and his wife on the basis of data from a mobile operator. This document refutes the testimony of witnesses who claimed that the Popovs talked to them on religious topics: at the designated time, the spouses were in another area of the city.

In his testimony, Pavel Popov emphasizes that in life he is guided by the principles of love for God and for people. The defendant also draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not evaluate the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not prohibit the practice of this religion.

The defendant is being interrogated. Answering questions from the prosecutor and the judge, Popov said that the religious literature seized from him was intended for personal use. The believer also explains to the court that the term "elder" is purely religious and does not refer to any legal entity.

The debate of the parties is taking place. The prosecution is requesting a sentence of 8 years in prison for Pavel Popov.

Pavel Popov reminds the court of the position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses should not be prosecuted for joint worship. The believer repeatedly draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He says: "The episode of participation in worship imputed to me only indicates the exercise of the right to use ways of expressing faith that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not evaluate or prohibit."

The believer speaks at the trial with the last word and asks him to be fully acquitted due to the absence of corpus delicti.

Judge Maria Melnikova finds Pavel Popov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 6 years probation with a probation period of 4 years.