Photo: Stanislav Kim left the detention center on January 30, 2019.

Criminal Investigation and Trial

In Khabarovsk, a third believer leaves the pre-trial detention center, another one remains

Khabarovsk Territory

On January 29, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court changed the decision of the court of first instance to detain 50-year-old Stanislav Kim. He will be placed under house arrest. Another believer, Valery Moskalenko, remains in the Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center.

Stanislav Kim spent at least 81 days in the pre-trial detention center. Thus, none of the accused in the case of Polevodov and others is in prison. This case is being investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia.

The accused in the second similar case in Khabarovsk, Valery Moskalenko, has been behind bars for six months. He is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, his case is being investigated by the FSB.

Law enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses "do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually."

Updated 2019-01-30: Stanislav Kim left the pre-trial detention center after 82 days in the pre-trial detention center.

Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk

Case History
Khabarovsk civilians Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, spouses Vitaliy and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and Maya Karpushkina were under investigation after a riot police platoon broke into a friendly party in a café in November 2018. Three men were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and later under house arrest. As a result, the Investigative Committee charged six Jehovah’s Witnesses: men with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and women with participating in it. The only reason is to believe in Jehovah God and discuss the Bible with friends. 14 months of trials and 20 sessions of the court of first instance revealed the groundlessness of the accusation, and the case was returned to the prosecutor’s office. In December 2021, it went to court again.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Khabarovsk Territory
Locality:
Khabarovsk
Suspected of:
according to the investigation they organised the activity of the religious organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Khabarovsk (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802080002000049
Initiated:
November 10, 2018
Current case stage:
trial in Court of First Instance
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-15/2023 (1-216/2022; 1-1031/2021; 1-18/2020; 1-553/2019)
Court:
Индустриальный районный суд г. Хабаровска
Judge:
Роман Чисковский
Case History