In the photo: Denis Peresunko, Sergey Melnik, Igor Egozaryan and Valery Rogozin

In the photo: Denis Peresunko, Sergey Melnik, Igor Egozaryan and Valery Rogozin

In the photo: Denis Peresunko, Sergey Melnik, Igor Egozaryan and Valery Rogozin

Criminal trial

A State prosecutor requested an unprecedented sentence for Jehovah's Witnesses from Volgograd — nine years in prison for practicing one's faith

Volgograd Region

On March 9, 2021, during the debate in the criminal case against four Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd, assistant prosecutor Anna Myagkova requested 9 years in a penal colony for Valery Rogozin and Denis Peresunko, and 7 years for Igor Yegorzaryan and Sergey Melnik.

The previous anti-record belonged to the prosecutor from Abakan Svetlana Shestakova, who asked 8 years in prison for the believer Roman Baranovskiy.

All four Volgograd believers are charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Valeriy Rogozin and Denis Peresunko are also charged with financing it (part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The men do not admit their guilt and claim that their faith is incompatible with extremism. The debate in the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd will continue on March 18.

The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds in Russia has evoked unceasing criticism from both the Russian human rights community and the international community. Shortly before the start of the debate on the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd, the British Ambassador to the OSCE Permanent Council, Neil Bush, expressed deep concern over violations of the rights of believers.

“We must highlight - unfortunately not for the first time - the concerning situation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Russian Federation. The 2017 ruling of the Russian Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal against the decision to categorise Jehovah’s Witnesses as “extremists”, criminalised the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens and contravened the right to religious freedom that is enshrined in the Russian Constitution, and in multiple OSCE commitments.”— Neil Bush said at a commission meeting on March 4, 2021.“— “Since that 2017 ruling, we have witnessed an increasing number of detentions, criminal investigations and prosecutions of Jehovah’s Witnesses across Russia, including the arrest and sentencing of Valentina Baranovskaya and Roman Baranovskiy on 24 February, and the sentencing of Aleksandr Ivshin on 10 February. Such cases reinforce the impression of an organised campaign of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd

Case History
In the spring of 2019, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against believers from Volgograd. Sergey Melnik, Igor Egozaryan, Valeriy Rogozin and Denis Peresunko were accused of organizing an extremist organization, and the latter two were also accused of financing it. They spent 5 to 7 months in the detention center. Lawyers drew the attention of Judge Irina Struk to numerous violations by the investigation. Some witnesses stated that their testimonies were falsified. Secret witnesses were interrogated incognito — according to them, they feared for their lives and health. In September 2021, the court sentenced four believers to prison terms ranging from 6 years to 6 years and 5 months. In March 2022, a court of appeal upheld the verdict. In August of the same year, Igor Egozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Valeriy Rogozin were taken 1,200 km from their home to correctional colony No. 6 in the Republic of Udmurtia, and Sergey Melnik was later transferred to correctional colony No. 5 in the Kirov Region.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Volgograd Region
Locality:
Volgograd
Suspected of:
[to be determined]
Court case number:
11902180028000016
Initiated:
May 16, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
[to be determined]
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-2/2021 (1-56/2020)
Court:
Тракторозаводский районный суд г. Волгограда
Judge:
Ирина Струк
Case History
Back to top