Sergey Gromov during the appeal hearing via video conferencing, January 31, 2024
The Supreme Court of Tatarstan Approved the Conviction of Sergey Gromov. A Peaceful Believer Will Go to a Penal Colony for Six Years for His Religious Views
TatarstanOn February 9, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan rejected the appeal of Jehovah's Witness Sergey Gromov against the sentence and upheld it—6 years and 1 month of imprisonment in a penal colony. The believer can appeal this decision to the court of cassation.
In the appeal, the defendant's lawyer emphasized that such a verdict was unconstitutional: "The court of first instance did not protect Gromov from religious discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses."
Three other Jehovah's Witnesses from Tatarstan were sentenced to various terms in penal colonies, a total of 13 residents of this region are persecuted for their faith.