Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Criminal Investigation and Trial

In Primorye Territory, the court sent 2 believers to prison

Primorye Territory

On March 19, 2019, the court ruled to send two believers from the village of Luchegorsk, Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, who were detained during searches on March 17, 2019 and taken to Dalnerechensk, to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.

According to preliminary information, they should be held in the pre-trial detention center of Spassk-Dalny. As of March 21, 2019, 25 people are being held in various prisons for their faith, whom law enforcement officers consider to be followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Another 27 people are under house arrest.

Meanwhile, a wave of criminal prosecutions for faith has moved along the Chinese border to the Amur region. On March 21, 2019, at least 5 searches were conducted in Zeya, and a criminal case was initiated.

Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk

Case History
In March 2019, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for their faith against Yuriy Belosludtsev and Sergey Sergeyev from the village of Luchegorsk. They were accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The investigation considered that the men were in a “criminal conspiracy” to “study and discuss religious material on topics about Jehovah.” Later, operatives searched their homes. The believers spent more than six months in a pre-trial detention center, and then another 5 months under house arrest. In June 2020, court hearings began, and a year and a half later, Belosludtsev and Sergeyev were sentenced to 6 years probation. The prosecutor asked for a sentence of 5.5 and 5 years in prison, respectively. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the conviction.
Timeline

Persons in case

Belosludtsev
Yuriy
Sergeyev
Sergey

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Luchegorsk
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as organising and participating in the activity of an extremist organisation (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:
11902050012000024
Initiated:
March 11, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the town of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorye Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-4/2022 (1-17/2021; 1-145/2020)
Court:
Pozharskiy District Court, Primorskiy Territory
Judge:
Yevgeniy Stefanyuk
Case History
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