The appeal upheld the verdict of Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog. Aleksandr Skvortsov Again Became a Prisoner of Conscience for His Religious Belief

According to the decision of the panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court, on August 22, 2023, the sentence for Aleksandr Skvortsov, Vladimir Moiseenko and Valery Tibiy came into force: 7 and 6 years in prison, as well as 6 years of suspended sentence , respectively. They continue to insist on their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.

Believers were convicted, in fact, for professing biblically based beliefs. The appeal drew attention to the fact that "singing songs praising God, turning to God in prayer, discussing the Bible together" - actions for which believers were accused of continuing the activities of an extremist organization - are "a way of professing his religion, guaranteed by both national and international law" and "does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity." The lawyer stressed that the court did not provide a single evidence that the defendants had a motive of religious enmity or hatred.

The defense pointed to a miscarriage of justice: "Being a Jehovah's Witness in Russia is not a crime ... The Constitution of the Russian Federation allows a convicted person to be a believer. Also, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The government of the Russian Federation publicly declares that believers in Russia after April 20, 2017 have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

In the Rostov region, persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds has been going on for many years. Back in 2009, a local religious organization was banned in the city of Taganrog. In 2011, a wave of searches in the homes of believers swept through the city. One of those who then became one of the defendants in the "Case of 16" was Aleksandr Skvortsov. Subsequently, the believers were sentenced to suspended sentences and fines. In 2020, Skvortsov served his sentence in full, but now he has been imprisoned on the basis of similar charges. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights considered a lawsuit, the applicants in which were, among other things, those convicted in the "Case of 16". The ECHR concluded that the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses were groundless, and Russia should take "all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and release imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses."

To this date, thirteen believers have been imprisoned in the Rostov region, including one woman.