The Sentence Against Konstantin Sannikov Entered Into Force After His Appeal in the Supreme Court of Tatarstan — 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony

On June 6, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan upheld the verdict against Konstantin Sannikov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kazan. For practicing his religion, he received 6.5 years in a penal colony.

On February 15, 2023, the Sovetskiy District Court of Kazan considered Sannikov's participation in peaceful religious meetings, where believers discussed the Bible, as extremism. The defense appealed this decision. In its opinion, during the hearings in the court of first instance, it became obvious that the testimony of witnesses for the prosecution disagreed with the facts, and that there were no signs of extremism in the actions of the believer. Sannikov still maintains his innocence and can appeal the court's decision through the cassation proceedings.

Konstantin has been behind bars for almost 3 years. His wife and four children were not allowed visits for a long time. In addition, anything to do with work, housing and caring for elderly relatives fell entirely on their shoulders, so Sannikov tries to support his family through friends and encourage them through letters.

Freedom of religion is protected by Russian law and is one of the foundations of a democratic state. Despite this, more than 700 Russian Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted for exercising their rights; 13 of them are residents of Tatarstan.