RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Jehovah's Witnesses punished harshly by courts in Khakassia

IN KHAKASSIA MOTHER AND SON STILL SENT TO COLONY FOR BELONGING TO FORBIDDEN ORGANIZATION

IAKhakasia, 25 May 2021

 

The judicial college of the Supreme Court of Khakassia refused to satisfy the appeals of the convicts R.L. Baranovsky and V.I. Baranovskaya (son and mother) and their defense attorneys.

 

From a release of the press service of the Supreme Court of the republic of Khakassia:

 

"By the verdict of the Abakan city court of 24 February 2021, R.L. Baranovsky was found guilty of arranging the activity of a religious organization (part 1, article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the R.F.) of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is forbidden on the territory of the R.F., and he was given a penalty in the form of incarceration for six years to be served in a correctional colony of medium security and also suspension of the right to engage in leadership activity in public organizations for five years and restriction of liberty for one year and six months. V.I. Baranovskaya was found guilty of participating in the activity of this religious organization (part 2 of article 282.2 CC RF) and was given a penalty in the form of incarceration for two years in a correctional colony of medium security and restriction of liberty for six months.

 

"R.L. Baranovsky was convicted of arranging the activity of a religious association with respect to which a court decision has taken legal effect for its liquidation because of the conduct of extremist activity. V.I. Baranovskaya was convicted of participating in the activity of the aforesaid religious association.

 

"The appellate instance held three judicial hearings on this case and as a result the judicial college came to the conclusion that the verdict that was reached is legal, reasonable, and just, leaving the chosen penalties without changes and the arguments of the appeal without satisfaction.

 

"The sentence has taken legal effect and may be appealed at the cassation level." (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2021)

 

KHAKASSIA SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS PRISON COLONY FOR 70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN BECAUSE OF FAITH

Kasparov.ru, 25 May 2021

 

The Supreme Court of the republic of Khakassia refused to grant Valentina and Roman Baranovsky their appeals against an unprecedentedly harsh sentence: incarceration for a woman Jehovah's Witnesses who is 70 years old; her son received six years in a penal colony. This was reported on 25 May to Kasparov.ru by the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.

 

Valentina Baranovskaya suffers from numerous diseases. In July 2020 she had an ischemic accident and she requires constant medical observation. Roman is her only son and she depends on his help. The sentence has taken legal effect. The believers still insist on their innocence.

 

Everything began late in the evening of 10 April 2019, when armed law enforcement agents in masks burst into the Baranovskys' residence. One of the witnesses for the prosecution declared in her testimony that "she does not like (the Baranovskys) because they are Jehovah's Witnesses." (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2021)

 

IN KHAKASSIA ADHERENTS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES' TEACHING GET PRISON TERMS

Kommersant, 25 February 2021

 

The city court of Abakan considered the criminal case of adherents of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses (ruled in Russia to be extremist and banned in April 2017). The defendants in the case were a 69-year-old retiree and her 46-year-old son. As indicated in the materials of the investigation, the mother and son conducted worship services and religious meetings, collected members' fees, controlled their disbursement, and established and maintained international communications with fellow believers from cells belonging to the structure of the international organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, including for purposes of pilgrimage for receiving religious education. As described in the directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia (S.K.R.), the court sentenced the retiree to two years in a penal colony and her son, to six years incarceration. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 25 May 2021)

 
Background article:

Repression of Jehovah's Witnesses taken to new level
February 24, 2021


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