In the photo from left to right from top to bottom: Olga Panyuta, Dmitry Malevaniy, Alexey Trofimov, Olga Opaleva

In the photo from left to right from top to bottom: Olga Panyuta, Dmitry Malevaniy, Alexey Trofimov, Olga Opaleva

In the photo from left to right from top to bottom: Olga Panyuta, Dmitry Malevaniy, Alexey Trofimov, Olga Opaleva

Criminal trial

A court in Primorye released four believers from house arrest

Primorye Territory

On November 19, 2019, the Primorye Regional Court found no reason to extend house arrest Alexei TrofimovAnd, Olga PanyutS and Olga Opaleva. The next day, the court also released Dmitriy Malevaniy. The counter-arguments of the investigator that the suspects could escape, the court recognized as unfounded.

Criminal cases against believers in Primorye were opened back in November 2018 after searches in their homes . In total, they were under house arrest for almost a year. In October 2019, Olga Opaleva suffered a stroke right in the convoy car. However, she still could not leave her home and was forced to wear an electronic bracelet on her paralyzed leg.

Update. It became known that the prosecutor appealed against the decision made in November 2019 to refuse to extend the term of house arrest for Alexei Trofimov, Dmitry Malevaniy and Olga Panyuta. On December 18, 2019, however, the Spassky District Court, chaired by Judge P. V. Bobrovich, decided to replace the measure of restraint for believers in the form of house arrest with a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.

The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny

Case History
In the fall of 2018, searches were carried out in Spassk-Dalny at the homes of Dmitriy Malevaniy, Aleksey Trofimov, Olga Panyuta, Olga Opaleva and their fellow believers. The reason for the prosecution of peaceful citizens was their faith in Jehovah God. The believers were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The case is based on the testimony of secret witnesses “Sidorova” and “Ivanova”, who monitored the believers on instructions from the FSB. On the eve of the search, Olga Opaleva suffered a heart attack, and later, on the way to court, a stroke. The four believers spent 1 year under house arrest, and from November 2019 were under a recognizance agreement. In December 2019, the case went to court. In February 2023, the believers were sentenced: Dmitriy Malevaniy was given 7 years, Aleksey Trofimov – 6.5 years and Olga Panyuta - 4.5 years in a penal colony, and Olga Opaleva - 5 years suspended. The court of appeal reduced each of these terms by 2 months, the court of cassation upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Trofimov
Aleksey
Malevaniy
Dmitriy
Opaleva
Olga
Panyuta
Olga

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Spassk-Dalny
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, unlawfully organized the activity of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Spassk-Dalniy (with reference to the decision of the RF Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802050020000065
Initiated:
November 12, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department 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), 282.2 (1.1)
Court case number:
1-4/2023 (1-4/2022; 1-7/2021; 1-70/2020; 1-570/2019)
Court of First Instance:
Spassk District Court of the Primorye Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Pavel Bobrovich
Case History
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