A criminal trial for faith against a local resident continued in Mayskoye

On August 27, the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic continued hearings in the criminal case against Yuriy Zalipayev, who faces up to 5 years in prison for his faith.

Five witnesses were questioned at the trial: three members of the operational-investigative team who in August 2016 participated in the seizure of literature at the place of worship in Maysky, an assistant prosecutor and one local resident.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Denis Shapovalov testified that he was not aware of any cases of distribution of extremist literature by Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye. This is what the investigation accuses Yuriy Zalipaev. According to Denis Alekseevich, believers are well aware of what literature is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials and do not use it. He also confirmed the arguments of the defense that almost all witnesses in the case received calls from the phone, the number of which belongs to the FSB officer Svetikov Sergey Alexandrovich.

Two members of the investigative team said that although they seized "extremist" literature, it was discovered before their arrival and they did not know by whom.

Finally, an interrogated local resident, an education worker, told the court that in August 2016, an unknown woman gave him the magazine "Awaken!", which he immediately threw away. It remains unclear how investigators found the man, who received the literature a full year before the first interrogation in the case.

According to the prosecution, Yuriy Zalipayev distributed banned literature and also called on other Jehovah's Witnesses to beat Orthodox Christians and Muslims. The believer rejects these accusations. He faces up to 5 years in prison under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement to hatred or enmity) and under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public calls for extremist activities).

The next meeting is scheduled for September 7, 14:00. The dates of subsequent meetings are tentatively known: 17, 21, 24 and 28 September; October 19.