In the photo: Roman and Valentina Baranovsky

In the photo: Roman and Valentina Baranovsky

In the photo: Roman and Valentina Baranovsky

Criminal trial

A Khakassia prosecutor requests a record-breaking eight-year prison sentence for Roman Baranovskiy for practicing his faith and a five-year sentence for his mother

Khakassia

On February 1, 2021, during a debate in the Abakan City Court, the prosecutor asked to sentence 46-year-old Roman Baranovsky to 8 years in prison and a year of restricted freedom. For his 69-year-old mother, Valentina Baranovskaya, who suffered a stroke, the prosecutor requested 5 years in prison with the same restriction.

Update. The record cruel punishment for believers was requested by Assistant Prosecutor Svetlana Anatolievna Shestakova

As Valentina Baranovskaya stated during one of the court hearings, the prosecutor voiced accusations of extremism, which consisted in the fact that “Baranovskaya ... decided to participate in the joint confession and dissemination of the Christian faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, namely: to perform religious services, to introduce people with the Holy Scriptures and biblical teachings, principles and norms of the indicated religious teaching. " “Whatever accusations the prosecutor voiced, the key thought is that I have read and still read the Bible and discuss what I have read with others,” said the believer, firmly rejecting allegations of extremist actions and motives.

Roman Baranovsky, in his testimony to the court, also stated that he did not commit extremist actions. Moreover, the knowledge from the Bible helped him to become a more decent citizen - to give up bad habits and learn to get along with people. “For 25 years I tried to be an exemplary citizen of my country, and now the prosecution proposes to declare me an extremist,” Roman Baranovsky said, adding that during the trial “not a single witness, neither the investigation, nor the prosecutor” indicated what kind of crime he committed.

A criminal case under article part 1 art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of a banned organization) against the mother and son of the Baranovskys was initiated on March 21, 2019. Later, the charge of Valentina was softened to part 2 of art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a liquidated organization). As a crime, believers are charged with the peaceful services of Jehovah's Witnesses, at which they discussed the Bible together with their fellow believers, prayed and sang religious songs, which the investigation interprets as a continuation of the activities of prohibited organizations, although the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.

The requested penalty for Roman Baranovsky is the longest since the ban in 2017 of legal entities, organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Prior to that, the record was set by the Pskov prosecutor, who requested 7.5 years for Gennadiy Shpakovskiy, whom the court sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, but the court of appeal replaced the sentence with a suspended sentence.

Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan

Case History
In April 2019, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. Pachuev opened a criminal case against Roman Baranovsky and his mother, Valentina. At the same time, armed law enforcement officers searched their house. Believers from Abakan were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it. In the summer of 2020, the case was submitted to the Abakan City Court. Against the background of severe stress, Valentina had a stroke. In February 2021, Judge Yelena Shcherbakova found the believers guilty and sentenced Roman to 6 years in prison and Valentina to 2 years. The 70-year-old believer became the first woman Jehovah’s Witness in Russia to be sentenced to actual imprisonment. The Supreme Court of Khakassia upheld this decision. In the fall of 2021, despite Valentina’s serious illnesses, the court denied her early release. Her repeated petition was granted, and on May 4, 2022, Valentina was released. Roman continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Khakassia
Locality:
Abakan
Suspected of:
[to be determined]
Court case number:
11902950002000052
Initiated:
April 10, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
[to be determined]
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-34/2021 (1-707/2020)
Court:
Абаканский городской суд
Judge:
Елена Щербакова
Case History
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