Aleksandr and Yekaterina Chagan, October 29, 2022

Aleksandr and Yekaterina Chagan, October 29, 2022

Aleksandr and Yekaterina Chagan, October 29, 2022

Unjust Verdicts

Court in Tolyatti Sent Aleksandr Chagan to a Penal Colony for 8 Years for his Faith in Jehovah God

Samara Region

On February 29, 2024, Viktoriya Gorbasheva, judge of the Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti, found Aleksandr Chagan guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 8 years imprisonment. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.

The closing arguments were presented and Chagan gave his final statement in one session; the verdict was passed on the same day. As an additional punishment, the court banned the believer from participating in activities related to religious organizations for 3 years and restricted his freedom for 1 year. Aleksandr pleads not guilty.

Chagan faced persecution for his faith in March 2022, when his home was searched for the first time. In September of the same year, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer on charges of extremism, and the home of Chagan family was searched for second time. In July 2023, the case went to court.

A total of 10 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in the Samara Region. Four men were sentenced to 7 years in prison for their faith in Jehovah God, and a woman was sentenced to 2 years of forced labor.

"Extremism is an intense expression of hatred," Aleksandr said in his final statement. "Today, computer games with war themes are common, but for some reason such games are not considered as extremism. But the peaceful activity of believers, who above all teach others how to solve problems and conflicts peacefully, is considered as extremism, and an attempt is made to make it appear sinister".

The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti

Case History
The first search in the family of Aleksandr and Yekaterina Chagan took place in March 2022. Six months later, in September, law enforcement officers again invaded their house, squeezing out the window. They put the household on the floor and handcuffed the head of the family, and then searched him. At night, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, after which he was sent to the temporary detention facility. The court released him under recognizance agreement. On the same day, Aleksandr became a defendant in a criminal case—he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist community. In July 2023, the case went to court. At the trial, a secret witness and experts testified, whose conclusions, according to the defense, were biased, unscientific and unfounded. In March 2024, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison. This decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation.
Timeline

Persons in case

Chagan
Aleksandr

Criminal case

Region:
Samara Region
Locality:
Tolyatti
Court case number:
12202360032000539
Initiated:
September 14, 2022
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Central Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-46/2024 (1-527/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Victoria Gorbasheva
Case History
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