Sergey and Yelena Gromov

Sergey and Yelena Gromov

Sergey and Yelena Gromov

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Sergey Gromov

Samara Region

On October 7, 2024, the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara issued a decision according to which Sergey Gromov will continue to serve his sentence of 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony.

According to the defense, the verdict against the believer is an expression of religious discrimination, since it was issued in violation of the RF Constitution, which prohibits any restriction of the rights of citizens based on religious affiliation. The fact of religious discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia for so-called extremist activity was also established by the authorized bodies of the UN.

Taking into account his stay in a pretrial detention center, where 1 day counts as 1.5, Sergey will still be imprisoned for more than 2 years.

The Case of Gromov in Kazan

Case History
In March 2022, FSB officers detained Sergey and Yelena Gromov from Kazan at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. Turnes out, an FSB investigator initiated a criminal case on the same day for organizing the activity of an extremist organization against Sergey, who practices the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Two secret witnesses participated in the case, one of whom was an FSB officer. The believer was arrested and placed in a temporary detention facility, and 2 days later in a pretrial detention center. Searches were carried out in the apartment of the Gromovs and at two other addresses. Later, he was suspected of violating another article of the Criminal Code – financing extremist activity. In February 2023, the case went to court, and in September of the same year, Gromov was convicted: 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony. In January 2024, the court of appeal upheld this decision, and 10 months later the court of cassation left the verdict unchanged.
Timeline

Persons in case

Gromov
Sergey

Criminal case

Region:
Tatarstan
Locality:
Kazan
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, he continued the activity of a liquidated religious organization by holding religious meetings at his place of residence
Court case number:
12207920001000008
Initiated:
March 15, 2022
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-157/2023
Court of First Instance:
Moskovskiy District Court of the City of Kazan
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Alsu Gumirova
Case History
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