A Believer, who is 71, Sentenced to Four Years in Prison. The Court in the Town of Belogorsk Found Vladimir Balabkin Guilty of Extremism for Conducting Religious Services

Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner with cancer, received four years in prison for his faith in Jehovah God. This decision was made by the Belogorsk District Court on September 13, 2023. The believer was arrested in the courtroom. He does not admit guilt and can appeal the verdict of Judge Natalia Kramar.

In the spring of 2021, security forces raided the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Belogorsk, including Vladimir Balabkin. The criminal case against him was initiated by FSB investigator V. Obukhov, who is behind most of similar cases against believers in the region. The elderly Balabkins had to go for interrogation to the city of Blagoveshchensk, which is 140 km from their home and was not easy for them due to the exacerbation of Vladimir's serious illness and the aftermath of his wife Tatiana’s heart surgery.

The security forces considered it a crime to hold religious meetings, equating it with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In court, one of the witnesses, an FSB officer, stated that he considered the believer guilty because he "provided devices to connect to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses," "connected others to meetings" and "showed how to use programs." At the same time, the expertise includes a conclusion that there are no signs of extremism in Balabkin's actions. Despite this, the prosecutor insisted on a guilty verdict and asked to sentence the believer to six and a half years in prison.

"You can disagree with the faith and teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is wrong to put them on a par with extremists, as said by the Russian president," emphasized Balabkin in his last word. "After all, my faith and my beliefs are based on the Word of God, the Bible. It teaches the exact opposite of extremism which is to love people and do good to everyone."

In October 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that it is necessary "to avoid cases of unjustified criminal prosecution of persons solely in connection with the external manifestation of their attitude to religion." Nevertheless, in the Amur Region, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses received from six to eight years in a penal colony for their faith and two received suspended sentences.