Court in Chuvashia Announced the Verdict Against One of the Oldest Prisoners of Conscience for his Faith. Yuriy Yuskov was given a 5-year suspended sentence

On March 15, 2024, the trial one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Yuriy Yuskov, who will be 86 in less than a month, was completed in the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic. Judge Aleksandr Zubov gave him a 5-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period and 1 year and 4 months of restriction of freedom.

According to the investigation, Yuriy Yuskov is guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it, as he "carried out the preaching activity, conducting conversations and teaching religious beliefs." Without evidence he was accused of promoting the breakup of families. In response, the widower talked about his marriage to Lyudmila, who did not share his religious views: "My wife and I lived together for 59 years and 43 days. Your Honor, are many families today able to maintain their marriage for more than 1 year? I know for a fact that the Bible only strengthens family ties, not destroy them, even if family members practice different religions."

On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses but did not ban practicing this religion. This thought was emphasized by Yuriy Yuskov at one of the hearings: "The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated publicly that the ban applies only to legal entities and does not prevent believers from practicing their religion. And I understood that I had not lost the right to peacefully practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses."

The prosecution of pensioner Yuriy Yuskov began in November 2020, when they searched his home in the case of three believers from Cheboksary. The security forces returned for a second search in May 2023, when A. Mukhin, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, initiated a criminal case against him. The charge was based on the testimony of two secret witnesses; part of the court hearings was held behind closed doors, but the court allowed five listeners to attend the announcement of the verdict. About 30 more people who came to support the believer were waiting for the decision outside the courthouse.

Yuriy Yuskov intends to appeal the verdict.