Verdict announcement in the case of 13 believers in Magadan. March 2024

Verdict announcement in the case of 13 believers in Magadan. March 2024

Verdict announcement in the case of 13 believers in Magadan. March 2024

Unjust Verdicts

Court In Magadan Gave 13 Jehovah's Witnesses Suspended Sentences From 3 to 7 Years

Magadan Region

One of the largest cases for faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, in which the investigation and trial lasted almost 6 years, ended in a guilty verdict. On March 6, 2024, Tatyana Belayeva, judge of the Magadan City Court, gave suspended sentences to believers aged 31 to 73.

Sergey Yerkin, Konstantin Petrov and Ivan Puyda received 7 years, Yevgeniy Zyablov received 5 years, Sergey Agadzhanov, Viktor Revyakin, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Irina Khvostova, Lyubov Asatryan, Galina Dergacheva, Inna Kardakova and Galina Pechko received 3 years — all suspended with a probation period of 2 to 5 years. As an additional punishment, believers were given a restriction of freedom from 10 months to 1 year.

A criminal case was initiated in May 2018, followed by searches. Ivan Puyda was detained by the law enforcement officers in Khabarovsk, 1600 km from Magadan. He, as well as Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin were behind bars between 2 and 4 months. As a result of the second wave of searches in March 2019, Lyubov Asatryan, Irina Khvostova, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Inna Kardakova, Galina Dergacheva, Viktor Revyakin and Sergey Agadzhanov became defendants in the case. Galina Pechko was added to the list 2 years later.

The charges of organizing, financing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization was based on hidden recordings of meetings for worship, during which the believers discussed compassion and love for people and forgiveness and hope. The testimonies of witnesses, including the FSB officer who conducted operational work within the case, did not reveal any expression of extremism at these religious meetings. At court hearings, the defense has repeatedly noted that all 13 believers have a reputation of being decent, intelligent and hardworking people.

The support of relatives and friends helped the believers to cope with the difficulties caused by the criminal prosecution. Galina Pechko said: "I can reach out to them at any time. I hear so many words of encouragement that warm my heart and help me endure everyday difficulties." According to Ivan Puyda, during his imprisonment his grandfather' example of resilience, who was also persecuted for his faith in Soviet times, strengthened him: "If he were alive, he would be proud of me ... His example inspired me to remain faithful and courageous."

The convicted persons deny their guilt of extremism, as they said in their final statements.

The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan

Case History
After a series of searches in Magadan in May 2018, Konstantin Petrov, Yevgeniy Zyablov and Sergey Yerkin were placed in a pretrial detention center. On the same day in Khabarovsk, the home of Ivan Puyda was searched. He was arrested and taken 1,600 km to a pretrial detention center in Magadan. The believers spent 2 to 4 months behind bars, and then ended up under house arrest. In March 2019, the FSB conducted another series of searches. The number of defendants in the case has reached 13, including 6 women and elderly. The investigator deemed holding peaceful meetings for worship as organizing, participating in and financing the activity of an extremist organization. In almost 4 years of investigation, the case materials against the 13 believers has grown to 66 volumes. The case went to court in March 2022. At the hearings, it became clear that the case was based on the testimony of a secret witness – an FSB informant who made covert recordings of peaceful meetings for worship. In March 2024, the believers were given suspended sentences ranging from 3 to 7 years, and the court of appeal later upheld this verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Agadzhanov
Sergey
Asatryan
Lyubov
Dergacheva
Galina
Yerkin
Sergey
Kardakova
Inna
Khvostova
Irina
Pechko
Galina
Petrov
Konstantin
Puyda
Ivan
Revyakin
Viktor
Solntsev
Mikhail
Solntseva
Oksana
Zyablov
Yevgeniy

Criminal case

Region:
Magadan Region
Locality:
Magadan
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, conducted together with others religious meetings for worship, which is interpreted as “organising the activity of an extremist organisation”
Court case number:
11807440001000013
Initiated:
May 30, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Second Investigative Division of the Third Department for Investigating Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Irkutsk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1–6/2024 (1-12/2023, 1-220/2022)
Court of First Instance:
Magadan City Court of the Magadan Region
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Tatyana Belayeva
Case History
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