Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Criminal Investigation and Trial

The Court in Moscow Kept Yuriy Temirbulatov in Custody, Despite the Personal Guarantee of Human Rights Activist Andrey Babushkin

Moscow

On November 8, 2021, the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow extended the detention of Yury Temirbulatov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, in the pre-trial detention facility for another three months. While in custody, he underwent surgery. Andrei Babushkin from the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation personally asked the court to commute his preventive measure.

The believer has been in detention for nine months, despite the fact that he suffers from numerous chronic diseases. In addition, he was diagnosed with cancer in the pre-trial detention center. In October, he underwent major surgery to remove the tumor. After being discharged from the hospital, he was transferred back to the “Matrosskaya Tishina” detention centre.

The chairman of the "Committee for Civil Rights" Andrei Babushkin, in his statement on personal guarantee, drew attention to the fact that Yuri has a dependent mother-in-law - a disabled person of group II. He also noted that Temirbulatov "is characterized positively at the place of residence, work and place of detention."

Temirbulatov was sent to jail in connection with a criminal case brought against him in February 2021. Investigator Mariya Rasskazova mistakenly interprets reading the Bible and singing religious songs as organizing the activities of an extremist organization.

Yuriy Temirbulatov became one of the victims of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the capital, which has not subsided for the second year already. Thus, in 2020, 5 men professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Moscow. Believers are still under house arrest. In 2021, 8 more people living in Moscow, including Temirbulatov, became defendants in criminal cases for believing in God.

The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow

Case History
Since 2019, believers in Moscow have been under surveillance. In February 2021, officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB and the National Guard broke into 16 apartments of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Moscow and the Moscow Region. Some reported beatings and money going missing during the search. Alexandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov were put in detention, although Alexandr was taking care of his elderly disabled mother, and Yuriy, the father of three children, suffers from various illnesses and has a dependent mother-in-law who is disabled. While behind bars, Alexandr was seriously ill with COVID-19, and Yuriy underwent a serious operation (he had developed an oncological disease). The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation considered the reading of the Bible and the singing of religious songs as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The case went to court in January 2022. In August 2022, the believers were given a 6 year suspended sentence, and in November 2022, the Appeal Court upheld this sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Moscow
Locality:
Moscow
Court case number:
12102450011000009
Initiated:
February 10, 2021
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the City of Moscow
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
01-0122/2022
Court:
Головинский районный суд г. Москвы
Judge:
Сергей Базаров
Case History
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