In Primorye, Valery Vyaznikov, a retired miner, received a suspended term for his faith in Jehovah God

On November 7, 2023, Nina Kalashnik, judge of the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found Valeriy Vyaznikov guilty of participating in extremist activities—this is how the confession of faith in Jehovah is interpreted. A peaceful 59-year-old believer from the village of Chegdomyn was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence.

"My conscience is clear before God, people and the court. It is for the fact that I am trying to convey life-saving truths from the Word of God that I am now being judged," the believer said in his last word. Although there are no victims and facts of extremist actions in the case, the prosecutor asked to sentence Vyaznikov to 3 years conditionally with restriction of freedom for 1 year. The verdict can be appealed.

The Investigation Department for Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory opened a criminal case against Valery Vyaznikov in July 2021, almost 1.5 years later it went to court in Luchegorsk, located more than 1000 kilometers from the believer's place of residence. The accusation was based on recordings of conversations on biblical topics between informants-operatives and believers. Vyaznikov was allowed to participate in most of the hearings via videoconferencing from the local courthouse in the village of Chegdomyn.

Since December 2022, Vyaznikov, the father of four children (two of them minors), has been under recognizance agreement. Talking about the difficulties associated with the persecution, Valeriy says: "The most difficult thing was to find out that I was put on the wanted list in absentia, and then to receive a summons. The message and the expectation of something unpleasant always weigh on the heart. My wife and children were very worried." The believer has health problems, during the criminal prosecution he underwent surgery.

In total, 58 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in Primorye Territory. Convictions for 25 of them have already entered into force, three are serving terms in penal colonies.

Such a number of criminal cases for faith in the region is bewildering for both Russian and foreign human rights activists. Willy Fautré, founder and director of the Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Borders, said: "Jehovah's Witnesses are the religious group that has been the most persecuted in Russia since their ban in 2017, thus they are deprived of freedom of communication, assembly, worship and preaching. Statistics on the magnitude of the repression are alarming. Freedom of religion or belief is the cornerstone of all freedoms."