The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov

Major of Justice E. V. Maksimov, Deputy Head of the Korsakov Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region, initiates a criminal case against Roman Gumenyuk. The investigation considers discussing the Bible with friends at "regular meetings" to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.

The case is referred to senior investigator S. B. Nevidimov.

Judge of the Korsakov City Court of the Sakhalin Region V. G. Kelbakha authorizes a search in the apartment of Roman Gumenyuk.

The investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region, Y. E. Che, is prosecuting Roman Gumenyuk as a defendant under another article - Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the man "conducted preaching activities and spread the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses among the residents of the Sakhalin region in order to find and consistently persuade new persons to participate in the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses ... by conducting conversations on religious topics."

The case goes to the Korsakov City Court

A preliminary hearing is underway. The court grants Roman Gumenyuk's request to familiarize himself with the 9th volume of the case, which he has not yet seen.

The prosecutor reads out part of the indictment.

Gumenyuk says he does not plead guilty. He begins to express his attitude to the accusation, but the judge interrupts him and does not allow him to continue.

Interrogation of two prosecution witnesses, one of whom is an FSB officer. The judge selectively reads out the case file.

Linguistic expert E. A. Savina and the wife of the defendant Olesya Gumenyuk are interrogated.

The believer makes written notes. He states that he has never tried to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order or public security. "Have you found at least one victim and deceiver in this case? Roman says. "Even the main witness for the prosecution, Kovtun, said at the confrontation: 'I know this man, I have no animosity.' It is clear from the case file that he did not suffer any damage and did not have any problems through my fault. On the contrary, my wife and I treated him as friends."

Commenting on the testimony of Dmytro Kovtun, who kept secret audio and video recordings of their conversations, Gumenyuk states that he never urged him to give up alcohol, sports and psychotherapeutic help.

The court shall attach to the case file the defendant's written notes and testimonies from the place of study.

The prosecutor requests a sentence for Roman Humeniuk: 5 years in a general regime colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year.

Roman Humeniuk makes his last speech in court.