A Tatarstan Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentences for Four Jehovah's Witnesses

On September 2, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, chaired by Judge Olga Migunova, upheld the verdict against Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov, Ilham Karimov and Aydar Yulmetyev, but at the request of the prosecutor imposed a number of restrictions on believers.

For their peaceful beliefs, four believers will serve suspended sentences: Vladimir Myakushin—3 years and 1 month, Aydar Yulmetyev—2 years and 9 months, and Konstantin Matrashov and Ilham Karimov—2.5 years each. All of them were also placed on probation for 2 years. The judicial board of the appellate instance fully satisfied the appeal presentation of the prosecution and added the following restrictions to the main punishment: “do not change the permanent place of residence without notifying the specialized state body that monitors the behavior of probationers, appear once a month for registration.” All four still insist on their innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassation.

For the first time, believers were persecuted for their faith back in 2018. After a series of searches, they were arrested, each had to spend almost six months in a pre-trial detention center and from 2 to 3 months under house arrest.

At the appeal hearing, Ilham Karimov said: “I did not engage in extremist or other illegal activities. I lead a peaceful way of life, respect authority and keep the law, because I am a believer. The manifestation of hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views.” A similar thought was expressed by Vladimir Myakushin: "I did not do anything for which I would be ashamed and for which I could be held criminally liable." Aydar Yulmetiev drew the attention of the court to the fact that because of his peace-loving views, he used the right to alternative civilian service. And Konstantin Matrashov noted that the interrogated witnesses did not confirm a single accusation against him.

The Soviet and Russian religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy Sergey Ivanenko commented on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “Jehovah’s Witnesses . . . are quite consistently pursuing a line so as not to destroy social foundations . . . This is their conscious choice, and in this sense I would not blame them for any extremist encroachments.”