Dmitriy Terebilov at one of the court hearings via video conferencing, January 2022

Dmitriy Terebilov at one of the court hearings via video conferencing, January 2022

Dmitriy Terebilov at one of the court hearings via video conferencing, January 2022

Served Sentences

Dmitriy Terebilov Served His Sentence for His Faith, but Was Not Released — the Court in the Second Case Placed the Believer in a Detention Center

Kostroma Region

Dmitriy Terebilov, who complete his prison term for his faith on September 5, remains behind bars. Already on August 26, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma ruled to place Terebilov in a pretrial detention center in the second case – for conversations about the Bible with another prisoner.

The investigation interprets such conversations as "the involvement of convicted persons... in the activity of an extremist organization." The man Terebilov had been talking to, was working with the investigation, pretending to be interested in the Bible.

The administration of Penal Colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region, where the believer was previously held, refused to give Dmitriy any letters of support containing God's name. Terebilov also faced other restrictions. "Whatever he did: read the Bible, prayed to God, told others about his faith, it can be equated to violating the law," said Dmitriy's lawyer; yet, none of the above is forbidden to prisoners professing other religious views.

The believer considers such treatment a violation of his rights, therefore he appealed against the actions of the colony administration in the district and regional courts, but they did not rule in favor of Terebilov.

The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma

Case History
In July 2018, police officers with riot police searched Dmitry Terebilov’s apartment in his absence. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Soon the home of Terebilov was searched again. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In September 2020, Dmitriy’s case went to court, which a year later sentenced him to 3 years in a strict regime penal colony. The court of appeal and then the court of cassation left the verdict unchanged. Terebilov served his sentence in penal colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region. In April 2023, Dmitriy became a defendant in a new criminal case for having conversations about the Bible with another prisoner. After his prison term ended, the believer was left in a pretrial detention center, where he awaits a new sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Terebilov
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Kostroma Region
Locality:
Kostroma
Suspected of:
According to the investigation he ”distributed ... items of literature, included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, which contained information intended to excite religious strife, propounded exclusivity, superiority of Jehovah’s Witnesses teachings and inferiority of those citizens who do not confess this teaching … took part in meetings”
Court case number:
11902340011000049
Initiated:
June 13, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Unit for the Tsentralny District of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-18/2021 (1-375/2020)
Court:
Sverdlovskiy District Court of the City of Kostroma
Judge:
Yekaterina Molodova
Case History
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