The Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld the Verdict Against Dmitriy Maslov. The Believer Received a Fine of 450 000 Rubles

On October 5, 2021, the panel of judges of Krasnoyarsk Territory Court headed by Vladimir Granenkin refused to satisfy Dmitriy Maslov's appeal. The sentence of the lower court came into force.

The 45-year-old believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.

On June 2, 2021, Judge of the Minusinsk City Court of Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Fomichev found Maslov guilty of committing crime according to clause 282.2 part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activity) because of his faith. He was sentenced to a fine of 450,000 rubles.

During the debate in the Minusinsk City Court the prosecutor requested a 6-year imprisonment sentence for Dmitriy Maslov in a penal colony.

A believer shared: "Criminal prosecution creates a feeling of a sword hanging over you and keeps you in constant tension. There is no sense of security either in your home or outside of it." The stressful background for his wife, Yuliya, led to a worsening of her health. The family began to have financial difficulties, as accounts were seized and bank cards were blocked.

On April 19, 2019, in the city of Minusinsk, officers of the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service with the participation of Rosgvardia operatives invaded the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches were conducted in five houses and over 30 people were detained for interrogation, including Dmitriy Maslov. He had to spend two days in custody.

Maslov, a peaceful beekeeper, was the victim of an erroneous interpretation of the law by the authorities. Law enforcement officials are increasingly treating common religious practices as illegal activities due to the April 2017 decision of the Russian Supreme Court to liquidate all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

A total of 13 similar criminal cases have been initiated in Krasnoyarsk Territory, six of which are currently pending in the court of first instance. On September 7, 2021, an appeal in Krasnoyarsk upheld the sentence on 47-year-old Andrey Stupnikov. He will have to serve six years in a penal colony for his belief in Jehovah.

Legal scholars in Russia and abroad condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko wrote: "The vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding, striving to live according to the moral standards set forth in the Bible. They reject violence, pay their taxes conscientiously, value peace in the family, society, and the state, and recognize the right of others to have their own beliefs."