Pictured: Defendants on the day of the appeal (September 26, 2022)

Pictured: Defendants on the day of the appeal (September 26, 2022)

Pictured: Defendants on the day of the appeal (September 26, 2022)

Unjust Verdicts

Appeal in Vladivostok Approves Sentencing of Valentin Osadchuk and Five Women to Suspended Sentences for Believing in Jehovah God

Primorye Territory

On September 26, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court, having considered the appeal of six believers, upheld the guilty verdict. The decision of the court entered into force. Believers continue to insist on their innocence and can appeal the verdict in cassation.

In June 2022, the Leninskiy District Court of Vladivostok sentenced Valentin Osadchuk to 6 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restriction of liberty. Five elderly women—Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purge, Raisa Usanova, Lyubov Galaktionova and Nailya Kogay—received 2 years of suspended sentence and 9 months of restriction of freedom.

Litigation began in October 2019, when the believers' case first came to the Leninskiy District Court. At the request of the defense, a month later the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office. The prosecution repeatedly tried to appeal this decision, and in January 2021, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction nevertheless decided to return the case for consideration to the court of first instance, which ultimately convicted the peaceful believers.

In Primorye Territory, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for peacefully practicing their faith. For six of them, the sentence has already entered into force.

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federationdid not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from discussing biblical issues in the circle of fellow believers or other persons and thus performing worship services. This constitutional right is reserved for every citizen of the country, however, more than 640 Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of Russia have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith.

Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok

Case History
In April 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses from Vladivostok. Believers were searched. Valentyn Osadchuk spent 9 months in pre-trial detention and 77 days under house arrest. In April 2019, he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and 6 elderly women — Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogai, Nina Purga, Nadezhda Anoykina, Raisa Usanova and Yelena Zayshchuk — were accused of participating in it. Soon the case was received by the Leninsky District Court, but a month later the judge returned it to the prosecutor. This decision was upheld twice by the appellate court. Since January 2021, the case has been re-examined in the same court by Maksim Anufriev. With regard to Zayshchuk, the case was suspended due to her advanced age and state of health. In May 2022, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6.5 years in prison for Valentin Osadchuk, and a 5-year suspended sentence for women. In June, the court sentenced the believers to suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 6 years. In September 2022, the appeal upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Vladivostok
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he participated in religious services, which is interpreted as participating in the activity of an extremist organisation (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11807050001000038
Initiated:
April 9, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Primorskiy Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-14/2022 (1-136/2021; 1-414/2019)
Court:
Ленинский районный суд г. Владивостока
Judge:
Максим Ануфриев
Case History