TRIAL
FOR FAITH
BEGINS FOR 59-YEAR-OLD VODOKANAL EMPLOYEE IN ZHELEZNODOROZHNY
COURT OF
KHABAROVSK
Jehovah's
Witnesses
in Russia, 29 October 2019
On 28
October 2019,
in Khabarovsk, the trial of Evgeny Aksenov continued, whose
"guilt," in
the opinion of the investigation, consists in his reading Sacred
Scripture
along with friends. In August, FSB personnel searched the
apartment of this
peaceful resident of Khabarovsk and his family, and the believer
was released
on his own recognizance.
On 21
October, the
first hearing in Evgeny Aksenov's case was held in
Zheleznodorozhny district
court under presiding judge Tatiana Kalganova. Fifteen persons
arrived to
support him. Despite the fact that Russian legislation
encourages transparency
in judicial proceedings, they were not admitted to the
courtroom. The judge granted
a lawyer's petition for postponement of the judicial hearing.
At the
court session
on 28 October, Aksenov expressed his attitude toward the
indictment presented.
Evgeny thinks that actually he is being charged not with
extremism but for
faith in God, because he has not done any kind of socially
dangerous actions.
He mentioned that the Supreme Court banned the activity of a
legal entity.
Being a believing person and reading the Bible are not crimes.
Freedom of
religious activity is guaranteed by article 28 of the Russian
constitution. The
next court session is scheduled for 6 November 2019 at 11:30
a.m.
On 2
September 2019,
the Zheleznodorozhny court of Khabarovsk sentenced another
peaceful believer,
Valery Moskalenko, to 2 years and 2 months of compulsory labor
[community
service]. An appeal has been filed against this judicial
decision. (tr. by PDS,
posted 29 October 2019)
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