In the photo from left to right: Alexey Budenchuk, Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev, Alexey Miretsky, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German

In the photo from left to right: Alexey Budenchuk, Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev, Alexey Miretsky, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German

In the photo from left to right: Alexey Budenchuk, Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev, Alexey Miretsky, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German

Criminal trial

In Saratov, the prosecutor requested 6 and 7 years in prison for believers. The verdict will be known in the near future

Saratov Region

On September 18, 2019, in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, the prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev and Alexei Budenchuk and 6 years for Alexei Miretsky, Roman Gridasov and Gennady German. All are blamed for their religious views as Jehovah's Witnesses.

The criminal case against six peaceful Saratov residents has been dragging on since June 9, 2018. Then 43-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov, 35-year-old Alexei Budenchuk and 33-year-old Felix Makhammadiev ended up in a pre-trial detention center and spent 343 days in it. They were later released under a ban on certain actions.

In addition to imprisonment for their faith, the prosecutor also requested for all defendants a restriction of liberty with deprivation of the right to hold positions in public organizations for a period of 1 year.

On September 18, the debate began, after which the verdict will be announced in the coming days. A detailed chronicle of the process is kept.

Update. The types of punishments for defendants have been clarified. In addition to imprisonment, the prosecutor requested an additional 5 years of deprivation of the right to hold leadership positions in public organizations and 1 year of restriction of freedom.

Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov

Case History
In September 2019, Judge Dmitry Larin immediately sent 6 Saratov residents to prison for a term of 2 to 3.5 years just for reading the Bible, singing songs and praying. Since 2017, security forces have been conducting covert surveillance of believers. In the summer of 2018, their homes were searched with banned literature planted. While the investigation was underway, they had to go to a pre-trial detention center, under house arrest and under recognizance not to leave. A year later, despite the absence of victims in the case, the believers were found guilty. Upon arrival at the Orenburg colony, 5 out of 6 convicted believers were beaten by the staff of the institution. Mahammadiev was hospitalized, and the rest were placed in a punishment cell for a while. Saratov prisoners of conscience have mastered various professions in prison. In May 2020, Mahammadiev and Bazhenov were stripped of their Russian citizenship and, after their release, deported from Russia. All 6 believers have already served their sentences. In September 2022, the cassation court dismissed the complaint, and the verdict and the appellate ruling were unchanged.
Timeline

Persons in case

Bazhenov
Konstantin
Budenchuk
Aleksey
German
Gennadiy
Gridasov
Roman
Makhammadiyev
Feliks
Miretskiy
Aleksey

Criminal case

Region:
Saratov Region
Locality:
Saratov
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising 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:
11807630001000037
Initiated:
June 9, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Saratov Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-333/2019
Case History
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