Criminal trial

Criminal Proceedings Under the Article "Extremism" Against a Jehovah's Witness Began in Kabardino-Balkaria

Kabardino-Balkaria

On May 16, 2017, the city court of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria) began consideration of the case on charges of Arkadi Hakobyan of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Preliminary hearings on the case were held in a closed session. The public prosecutor requested time to prepare his case. At his request, the hearing was postponed until May 31, 2017 at 10:00.

According to the prosecution, the believer made a speech in which the dignity of persons of other religions was allegedly humiliated. He is also charged with distributing religious literature among his fellow believers. Arkadya Hakobyan had previously appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring to justice those who gave knowingly false testimony on which the charges were based. However, his criminal complaint has not yet been properly vetted.

Meanwhile, a similar case is being considered in the Sergiev Posad City Court against two Christian elders of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The next hearing is scheduled for June 2, 2017.

Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny

Case History
In the late 1980s, Arkadya Hakobyan, his wife and three children fled ethnic cleansing in Azerbaijan. More than 25 years later, as a peaceful elderly man, Arkadia became a victim of religious repression. In June 2016, a criminal case was opened against him for a public speech in which he allegedly humiliated the dignity of followers of other religions. In May 2017, hearings began in the Prokhladnensky District Court, during which it turned out that the testimony of witnesses underlying the case was false, and the expert’s opinion was replete with errors. The prosecutor demanded 3 years of probation for the believer. In December 2018, Judge Oleg Golovashko sentenced the believer to 120 hours of compulsory labor. In March 2019, the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic overturned the conviction. Hakobyan was cleared of all charges.
Timeline

Persons in case

Akopyan
Arkadya

Criminal case

Region:
Kabardino-Balkaria
Locality:
Prokhladny
Court case number:
73
Initiated:
June 11, 2016
Current case stage:
case dismissed
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-7/18
Outcome of the case:
дело прекращено, Аркадя Акопян считается несудимым
Investigated:
Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
Considered by the Court of First Instance:
Prokhladnenskiy District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
Judge:
Oleg Golovashko
Court of Appeal:
Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
Case History
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