In the photo: Vasily Reznichenko

In the photo: Vasily Reznichenko

In the photo: Vasily Reznichenko

Unjust Verdicts

Appeal Court in Blagoveshchensk Left Unchanged the Verdict for Faith Against 78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko

Amur Region

On July 29, 2021 the Amur Regional Court upheld the sentence of Vasiliy Reznichenko, a Jehovah's Witness from Zeya convicted earlier to 2 years of suspended imprisonment for talking on religious topics—the court considered it "participation in the activity of an extremist organization.”

The verdict came into force: 2 years of suspended sentence and 6 months of restriction of freedom. The verdict can be appealed in cassation and international instances.

In three weeks after the appeal decision, labor veteran Vasiliy Reznichenko will be 79 years old. Most of them he led a habitual Soviet way of life, and for a long time he worked as a captain of a motor ship. Vasiliy and his wife familiarized themselves with the Bible and became Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1990s. For years, the newfound faith of Vasiliy and his co-religionists did not raise any questions from the authorities.

"Around 2005 or 2006, the police detained me and my wife several times while we were talking to people about God. We were taken to the police and interrogated. The attitude of the police was not strict. They even took magazines [on Biblical topics] from us to read," Vasiliy says. After identification, the believers were released.

In 2016, Vasiliy was widowed. About three years later, in March 2019, criminal proceedings began against him.

"On the morning of the day I was searched when I was reading the daily scripture. I heard the knock on my door. I thought it was one of the neighbors in the entryway. I opened the door, and there were people I didn't know. One showed his FSB ID and introduced himself. The second wore a mask and had a gun. The others were witnesses. The FSB officer said that I was about to be searched. He warned me not to resist and that everything would be fine," Vasiliy said, adding that he was most worried when he was called in for questioning. When I came out of the FSB building to the street after the interrogation, I felt better."

Since March 21, 2019, Vasiliy Reznichenko has been under house arrest, and in November 2019 he was placed on the state List of Terrorists and Extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all of his personal savings, a significant amount that the pensioner had been saving for many years for his own needs, as well as to help his loved ones. Moreover, at the request of the investigator, the elderly believer had to travel to Blagoveshchensk (almost 600 km away) in order to undergo forensic psychiatric examination.

"I am subjected to criminal prosecution for being a Christian, for being a Jehovah's Witness [...] I do not consider it a crime under the Russia’s law. No one has forbidden the Jehovah's Witnesses religion in Russia," the believer said in his final statement before the court of first instance ruling.

15 believers in the Amur Region have already faced criminal prosecution simply because of their religion.

Russian and foreign opinion makers unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Richard Clayton, Queen's Counsel, UK Representative to the Venice Commission. He notes: "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 [...] This application of laws forms the image of religious freedom in Russia as extremely negative: ‘You can believe in anything, as long as you believe in what I tell you.’ In my opinion, this is a shocking example of how a bad law is being used for an even worse purpose."

Case of Reznichenko in Zeya

Case History
In March 2019, in Zeya, Amur Region, searches were carried out in the homes of believers with the seizure of electronic devices and personal records from them. Vasily Reznichenko, a former river captain, was prosecuted by FSB investigator V.S. Obukhov for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Among the evidence of the believer’s guilt in the case file are hidden video recordings of worship services. Since March 21, 2019, Vasiliy Reznichenko has been under house arrest, and in November 2019 he was included in the List of Terrorists and Extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all his personal savings. Also, at the request of the investigator, the believer was sent for a medical examination. On April 12, 2021, the prosecutor requested a 2-year suspended sentence for the 78-year-old believer with a probationary period of 8 months. In June 2021, Judge Oksana Brylyova convicted Vasily Reznichenko, imposing exactly the punishment requested by the prosecutor. On July 29, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Amur Region
Locality:
Zeya
Suspected of:
по версии следствия, «организовал собрания последователей... религиозной организации»
Court case number:
11907100001000017
Initiated:
March 11, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
СО УФСБ России по Амурской области
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-15/2021 (1-208/2020)
Court:
Зейский районный суд Амурской области
Judge:
Брылева Оксана Петровна
Case History
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