RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Two more Jehovah's Witnesses convicted on faulty evidence

TWO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES GIVEN SUSPENDED PRISON TERMS IN KHABAROVSK

Sibir.Realii, 4 February 2020

 

A court in Khabarovsk sentenced two Jehovah's Witnesses, Nikolai Polevodov and Stanislav Kim, to suspended prison terms. They were given two years, suspended, with a probationary term of two years, having been found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. This was reported on the website of the religious organization.

 

The investigation requested sentencing Polevodov and Kim to three years in prison, with one year of restricted liberty. They themselves did not admit guilt. They were accused of meeting in a café in April 2018, which, according to the account of the investigation bore an extremist nature. A lawyer for the prosecution explained in court that nobody mentioned the organization at the meeting, of which a video recording from an operation gave evidence. The prosecution's account was based on evidence from a secret witness, "Smirnov," who was at the meeting. He refused to answer most of the questions at the trial since he did not want to disclose his identity, the website of the religious organization says.

 

In early August, searches were conducted in four homes of alleged adherents of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Khabarovsk. (tr. by PDS, posted 4 February 2020)



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