The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk

Operational-search measures are carried out: "wiretapping", "removal of information from technical communication channels", "inquiry", "observation", "survey", "examination of objects and documents".

Investigator for the Berezovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Captain of Justice Y. V. Prannichuk initiates a criminal case against Yuri Yakovlev, a resident of Sosnovoborsk. She suspects Yakovlev of "organizing religious performances and services in the mode of online broadcasts." The investigation interprets these actions as organizing the activities of an extremist community (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Prannichuk makes a decision to search Yakovlev's home without court permission, since, in her opinion, the case is urgent.

Searches and interrogations are being conducted in 5 families of Jehovah's Witnesses from Sosnovoborsk. A man who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, with whom Yakovlev discussed Bible teachings, is also being interrogated.

The believer is detained and sent to a temporary detention center.

The Sosnovoborsk City Court decides to detain Yuriy Yakovlev for two months.

Yakovlev is being prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.

Yakovlev's case goes to the Sosnovoborsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Anastasia Ivanova.

The first court session is held. The lawyer asks to postpone the hearing to June 28, since she received the indictment only the day before.

"The accusation is not clearly formulated," Yuriy Yakovlev expresses his attitude to the position of the prosecutor's office. The defense file a motion for the admission of evidence, which the court satisfies.

12 listeners come to support the believer in court.

The court begins consideration of the case materials. The prosecutor reads the first volume, which contains a transcript of the entire liturgical meeting. Among other things, a chapter from the Bible and Bible videos are cited.

The prosecutor continues to read about the topics of a balanced attitude towards alcohol, the importance of obedience to the authorities and the manifestation of such qualities as gratitude, self-control, love, as well as stories about mutual assistance among believers during the pandemic - the prosecutor continues to read about this in the first volume of the case materials.

After the break, the transcript of the Bible conversation with Yuri, secretly recorded at his home, is read out.

The court reads out transcripts of recordings of telephone conversations and video calls made through Yuriy's computer. The court is shown a photograph of the believer's computer screen.

The operative of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory A. Mukhlynin is being interrogated. The lawyer asks the prosecutor not to whisper or suggest answers to the witness. To the questions of the defense, he answers "I don't remember", "I can't say", or simply keeps silent.

Then another prosecution witness is being questioned. It uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The defense files a motion to declassify the secret witness. The witness agrees and enters the courtroom. Almost immediately, he declares that he wants to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The testimonies given by him during the investigation are checked. He will not recognize his testimony and signatures.

The court satisfies the petition of Assistant Prosecutor Zhirnov to extend Yuri Yakovlev's stay in the pre-trial detention center for another 3 months. In his defense, the believer says: "I carry out peaceful activities, try to teach people what is good and bring them closer to God."

Grigory Illarionov, a religious scholar and teacher of political science at the Siberian Federal University, is being interrogated via video link. He notes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia and that believers can gather together for worship. Illarionov adds that "Jehovah's Witnesses are united throughout the world."

He also says that Yakovlev did not call for violence and the overthrow of the constitutional order.

The court listens to discs with recordings of divine services, where various topics are discussed: the creation of man, the qualities of God, the danger of alcohol abuse, and others. The lawyer claims a discrepancy in the transcript: the word "heart" is clearly heard on the audio recording, and the word "sect" is written in the transcript.

A man who appears as a witness at the trial submits a petition to recognize the search of his house as illegal. He says that the search in the apartment began at 5:30 in the morning and then continued in the car and lasted 4 hours. Then the man was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, where, according to him, he was threatened when he used Article 51. The witness says that all the seized items were gradually returned to him.

The meeting begins with the interrogation of investigator Y. V. Prannichuk. Her lawyer asks her questions about the indictment. It turns out that violations were committed during the investigation. For example, the lawyer's petition to terminate the criminal case was not attached to the case file. When asked how Prannichuk determined that Yakovlev was a member of the LRO, she replies: "He used the means of conspiracy and continued to preach." Answering some questions, the investigator is confused, cannot answer and often asks to repeat the question.

Yuri Yakovlev asks the investigator why he was not shown the things that were seized from him. Investigator Prannichuk replies that there are witnesses for this. To which Yakovlev notes that the witnesses stood at the door and could not see everything that was happening: "They could throw me something that I did not have. That's why I refused to sign the protocol."

The court examines the literature seized during the search from Yuriy Yakovlev: several Bibles, notebooks and notebooks. The judge reads aloud the believer's personal notes, which record Bible teachings.

During the debate, the prosecutor asks Yuriy Yakovlev for 8 years in a general regime colony. He says that the defendant's guilt has been fully proven, but at the same time does not provide a single piece of evidence of specifically extremist actions.

"I feel calm because I am not judged for evil deeds, but for good ones." Yuriy Yakovlev makes his last word in court.

Despite the fact that Yuriy has been in jail for almost 14 months, his emotional state is good - he is calm, does not lose the joy of life. The state of health of the believer is satisfactory. He has a disease of the spine. The medications that were given to him turned out to be ineffective, so he does physical exercises, keeping himself in shape.

Twice a month, Yuri is given visits with his sister or with one of his friends. The believer has a Bible, he receives parcels and many letters. When their number exceeded 4,000, he stopped counting them.

The believer is taken to a penal colony in the village of Startsevo, located 30 km from Krasnoyarsk.

At the appeal hearing, Yuriy Yakovlev asks for the disqualification of the lawyer by appointment. The court satisfies.

The prosecutor applies for religious and linguistic examinations. The lawyer under the agreement asks to adjourn the meeting for the preparation of written objections.

The court appoints two examinations: religious studies (it will be conducted by religious scholar Grigory Illarionov, who was previously involved in the case as a specialist and has already expressed his opinion on all the issues raised for resolution) and linguistic, which will be carried out in an institution chosen by the prosecutor.

It becomes known that Yuri Yakovlev is in pre-trial detention center No. 6 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He can write letters.

Yuriy Yakovlev is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He can write letters.

In the Achinsk pre-trial detention center, Yuriy Yakovlev is kept in solitary confinement. His state of health is satisfactory. Yuriy has everything he needs; He was allowed a date with friends.

The believer receives only e-mails, paper letters are not given to him for some unknown reason.