A Sentence for One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Handed Down in Krasnoyarsk Territory. Dmitriy Maslov, 44, of the City of Minusinsk Was Sentenced to a Fine

On June 2, the judge of Minusinsk City Court of Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Fomichev found 45-year-old Dmitriy Maslov guilty of committing a crime according to part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of RF (participation in the activity of extremist organization) because of his faith. He was fined 450,000 rubles.

The sentence has not entered into force and may be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. Although there are no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Maslov to six years of imprisonment in a penal colony because of his religious views.

Beekeeper Dmitriy Maslov and his wife Yuliya liked to spend time in the mountains. It was such a trip to the mountains that law enforcement officers considered as a continuation of extremist activity. Due to criminal prosecution for her faith, Yuliya's health deteriorated sharply. The family started having financial difficulties, as their bank cards were blocked.

Dmitry Maslov before the verdict with things for the pre-trial detention center

The criminal case against Dmitry Maslov was initiated on April 19, 2019. On that day, employees of the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service with the participation of Rosgvardia fighters conducted searches in 5 houses of believing residents of Minusinsk. More than 30 people were detained for questioning and later released. The searches were sanctioned by the acting head of the investigative agency, V. N. Kolenichenko. Dmitriy was sent to the temporary detention facility.

His case was investigated by the Minusinsk District Department of the Investigative Committee for Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia for about 8 months. On December 31, 2019, it went to the Minusinsk City Court of Krasnoyarsk Territory.

At the hearing, the prosecution had already traditionally interpreted the normal life of a believer (praying, chanting, reading the Bible) as illegal actions. Despite the exceptionally positive characterization of Dmitry Maslov given by witnesses at the trial, the authorities try to smear his good name with suspicions of committing a serious crime against the state simply because of his religion.

All in all, 10 similar criminal cases were initiated in Krasnoyarsk Territory, four of which are currently being considered in court.

Numerous Russian and foreign organizations and individual experts condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Richard Clayton, a Queen's Counsel and UK representative to the Venice Commission, for example, says that "recognizing Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will do nothing to help Russia consolidate its reputation as a civilized country. Any decision against Jehovah's Witnesses will affect others. It will be a red flag for everyone - if you disagree with the Russian authorities, you are at risk.