Anatoly Tokarev, a pensioner from Kirov, was charged under two articles at once

On November 6, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev, a resident of Kirov, was charged under two "extremist" articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization, part 1 of article 282.2, and its financing, part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

There are no victims in Tokarev's case, and the prosecution repeats word for word the wording previously used against other believers. For example, Georgy Malykh, an investigator for especially important cases who is investigating Tokarev's case, called him the "spiritual leader" of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. Earlier, the same wording was used in the case against Sergey Klimov from Tomsk, who was recently sentenced to 6 years.

Tokarev faces real prison terms for the fact that at his home he conducted "training sessions and meetings in the format of a collective worship service, consisting of the performance of songs ... and prayers to Jehovah God," as well as "appointed readers to study the Bible" and "engaged in pastoral work." In addition, Tokarev is charged with the fact that he did not stop "his personal involvement", in other words, did not renounce his religious beliefs, to which he was legally entitled even after the entry into force of the Supreme Court decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. Andrzej Oniszczuk spent 330 days in the Kirov pre-trial detention center on similar charges.

The investigation claims that Tokarev collected funds (which were used to pay utility bills for electricity in an empty worship building and maintain it in technically proper condition). This is what the investigator considered to be the financing of an extremist organization.

Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism. Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows any citizen "to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them." Perceiving law-abiding believers for talking about religion is a significant mistake by law enforcement agencies that distracts them from the fight against real crime.