Unjust Verdicts

The Court of Appeal in Ufa Upholds the Verdict for Faith to Anatoliy Vilitkevich — Two Years of Suspended Sentence

Bashkortostan

On December 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan, chaired by judge Marina Khomechko, upheld the verdict for discussing the Bible to 35-year-old believer Anatoliy Vilitkevich, who was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.

Anatoliy works in a sphere of construction — he is engaged in finishing work. A week before the appeal, he and his wife Alena had a son, Arseniy. Now Anatoliy is the only breadwinner in the family. Due to criminal prosecution and frequent court hearings, he is unable to find a permanent job and is forced to do odd jobs.

Vilitkevich was detained on April 10, 2018, when eight searches were carried out in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Ufa and nearby villages. He was prosecuted as a defendant in a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It turned out that in October 2017, hidden video surveillance was installed in the apartment of the Vilitkevich family. Anatoliy spent almost 2.5 months in a pre-trial detention center, 8 months under house arrest and 2 years and 10 months under recognizance agreement.

During the court hearings, it turned out that the protocols of the interrogations of one of the witnesses contradicted his testimony in court, which may indicate fabrication of materials. During the trial, prosecution witnesses repeatedly confused the defendant with his lawyer.

On September 27, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court, Oksana Ilalova, sentenced the believer to 2 years of probation with a probation period of 3 years and restraint of liberty for 6 months. The verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.

On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.

Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa

Case History
Anatoliy Vilitkevich became one of the first Jehovah’s Witnesses who was imprisoned for his faith. After a series of searches conducted at the homes of believers in Ufa in April 2018, Vilitkevich was placed in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The arrest was preceded by surveillance: in the apartment where he lives with his wife, the special services installed hidden video footage. For friendly meetings and communication on spiritual topics with friends, Vilitkevich was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Since October 2020, the case has been considered in the Leninsky District Court of Ufa. At the hearings, some prosecution witnesses did not recognize the believer, and those who know him expressed disagreement with the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence Vilitkevich to 7 years in prison. On September 27, 2021, judge Oksana Ilalova sentenced him to 2 years probation with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months. On December 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan approved the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Bashkortostan
Locality:
Ufa
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he participated in religious services, which is interpreted as participation in the activity of an extremist organisation (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802800004000045
Initiated:
April 2, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Leninskiy Inter-district Investigative Department of the city of Ufa of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Bashkortostan
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-16/2021 (1-235/2020)
Court:
Ленинский районный суд г. Уфы Республики Башкортостан
Judge:
Оксана Илалова
Case History
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