Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo

Case History

In December 2023, Pavel Chemrov became a defendant in a criminal case for his belief in Jehovah God. The local department of the Investigative Committee has been monitoring the man since February 2018. The believer was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and a preventive measure was chosen for him in the form of a recognizance agreement. In June 2024, the case went to court.

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    Case initiated Art. 282.2 (2) Search

    Senior Lieutenant of Justice M. Kozharin, investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Pavel Chemrov. On the same day, the believer's house was searched. His tablet and personal records were seized.

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    Interrogation Recognizance agreement

    M. Kozharino, senior investigator of the Nazarovsky district department, interrogates Pavel Chemrov and brings him in as an accused. According to the investigator, saying prayers and studying religious literature is participation in the activities of an extremist organization and is subject to criminal punishment.

    Chemrov is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.

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    Case initiated Art. 282.2 (2)

    Deputy Nazarov Interdistrict Prosecutor Y. Viltsan approves the indictment against Pavel Chemrov.

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    Case went to court

    The case goes to the Nazarovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Irina Ivanova.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The prosecutor announces the guilty verdict. Pavel Chemrov expresses his attitude to the accusation. He draws attention to the fact that "the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in its decisions did not examine the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not recognize them as extremist and did not prohibit their practice jointly."

    The believer emphasizes: "In my actions, I have never been guided by motives of political, ideological, racial, national, religious hatred or enmity, or motives of hatred or enmity towards any social group."

    The court grants the lawyer's request for time for additional familiarization with the case materials.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The court attaches documents about Pavel's state of health to the case file and proceeds to examine the case materials – volumes 1 to 17.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The court interrogates two witnesses for the prosecution, who, answering the judge's questions, use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. One of them confirms that he did not hear from the defendant calls to extremism, hatred and undermining of the constitutional order.

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    Interrogation Hearing in a court of the first instance

    Interrogation of a man who studied the Bible with Pavel at his own request "to broaden his horizons" and later began to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. The witness says that the FSB officer offered him to install a video camera to record the man's conversations with Pavel. The officer, according to the witness, explained to him that there was "little compromising evidence" on Chemrov. During the interrogation, the witness himself does not confirm any of the proposed statements proving the guilt of the defendant. The prosecutor files a motion to read out the testimony of this witness given during the preliminary investigation, and the court grants the request.

    Then the second witness, the mother of the previously interrogated man, is interrogated. She reports that she heard "only good" things from Chemrov, but she herself did not attend the Bible studies. The prosecutor again filed a motion to read out the woman's testimony given during the preliminary investigation, the request was granted.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance Interrogation

    The prosecutor reads out the 15th volume of the case materials. The defense draws the court's attention to the violation of the procedure for the seizure, examination and description of material evidence.

    Then investigator Mikhail Kozharin, who interrogated the witness in the case, is interrogated.

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