Search
The Shadrinsk District Court in Kurgan region has received the cases of two Jehovah’s Witnesses, aged 38 and 53, accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organisation (Part 2, Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). This was reported by the regional Investigative Committee on its official website.
In mid-June, the agency reported the transfer to court of proceedings against a 38-year-old believer, whose name was not given. It is believed the defendant is Ilya Yershov, against whom a criminal case was opened back in 2021.
Initially, Yershov was charged under a more serious article—organising the activities of an extremist organisation (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). According to the website “Jehovah’s Witnesses. Legal Situation in Russia,” Yershov’s case was dismissed in March 2023. Half a year later, a new case was opened against him, this time for participation in an extremist organisation.
“It has been established that between 2017 and 2021, the accused carried out actions aimed at resuming and continuing the illegal activities of a religious organisation banned by the court, including personally taking part in meetings of followers of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith and conducting conversations with citizens in order to promote the activities of this extremist organisation,” wrote the Investigative Committee about Yershov’s case.
On 4 July, the Investigative Committee reported transferring the case of a 53-year-old man to court, again not giving a name. It is likely referring to Valery Minsafin. His criminal case for participating in an extremist organisation was terminated in March 2023. Presumably, as with Yershov, investigators reopened the case against him.
The prosecution alleges that Minsafin actively participated in the activities of the banned religious organisation, including via video communication, and also preached “for the purposes of promoting this extremist organisation.”
On the website of the Shadrinsk District Court, information has been published about the acceptance of two criminal cases under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The cases were received on 20 June and 4 July, respectively.
The criminal case against the group of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Shadrinsk, a town in Kurgan region near the Ural Mountains, was opened in July 2021. At that time, law enforcement officers carried out more than 30 searches of Jehovah’s Witnesses and detained at least 13 people. It was alleged that the believers held meetings involving more than 130 people. Two believers with disabilities—Alexander Lubin and Anatoly Isakov—have already been fined in connection with these criminal cases.