Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova. January 2025

Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova. January 2025

Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova. January 2025

Unjust Verdicts

Two Elderly Women From Khabarovsk Given Suspended Sentences. Court Deemed Talking About the Bible to Be Extremism

Khabarovsk Territory

The Khabarovskiy District Court completed the retrial of the criminal case of two Jehovah's Witnesses on January 20, 2025. Judge Kira Kirina gave pensioners Lyubov Kocherova, 66, and Lyubov Ovchinnikova, 66, a 5.5-year suspended sentence.

The first verdict in this case — a 6-year suspended sentence — was handed down in August 2023. State prosecutor Yekaterina Trofimenko, who insisted on a prison term, appealed this decision. The court of appeal sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2024 in the same Khabarovskiy District Court.

Lyubov Kosherova nad Lyubov Ovchinnikova with their friends outside of the courthouse, January, 2025
Lyubov Kosherova nad Lyubov Ovchinnikova with their friends outside of the courthouse, January, 2025

Preliminary and judicial investigations against Kocherova and Ovchinnikova have already been going on for 2.5 years. The prosecution based the criminal case on audio recordings of meetings for worship and conversations about the Bible, made by undercover FSB agent Stanislav Martyn. Speaking in court, the believers disagreed with the charges and mentioned that the constitutional right to freedom of religion cannot be a crime.

The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye

Case History
From April 2020, on the instructions of the FSB, a resident of the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye began recording conversations about the Bible with Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova. Two years later, a criminal case was initiated against the pensioners for participating in and involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. They were charged with “asking questions on religious topics regarding… understanding the Bible.” In March 2023, the case went to court, and in August of the same year, Kocherova and Ovchinnikova were given a 6-year suspended sentence. In December, the court of appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2024. After 11 months, the court sentenced the believers to 5 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kocherova
Lyubov
Ovchinnikova
Lyubov

Criminal case

Region:
Khabarovsk Territory
Locality:
Knyaze-Volkonskoye
Suspected of:
"collectively sang religious songs, prayers, which are a product in the structure of the world organization of Jehovah's Witnesses" (from the decision to bring as an accused)
Court case number:
12202080023000024
Initiated:
May 26, 2022
Current case stage:
verdict did not take effect
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-13/2025 (1-59/2024; 1-484/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Khabarovskiy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Angelina Sviderskaya
Judge of the Court of First Instance (New Trial):
Kira Kirina
Case History
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