Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova in the courtroom on the day the verdict was announced, February 14, 2024

Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova in the courtroom on the day the verdict was announced, February 14, 2024

Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova in the courtroom on the day the verdict was announced, February 14, 2024

Unjust Verdicts

Court in Smolensk Gave Two Elderly Women a 2-year Suspended Sentence — They "Participated in Joint Prayers to Jehovah and Discussion of Bible Interpretations"

Smolensk Region

Tatyana Galkevich, 64, and Valentina Vladimirova, 67, Jehovah's Witnesses from Smolensk, were each given a 2-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for a year for their faith. This decision was made by the Promyshlennyy District Court of Smolensk on February 14, 2024. The believers deny being guilty of extremism and consider the verdict groundless.

"Jehovah's Witnesses, as law-abiding citizens, have stopped using their buildings for worship, but they cannot stop worshiping God and keep silent about the beautiful Bible truths," Vladimirova said. Galkevich commented on the trial as follows: "The example of Jesus Christ himself helps me ... not to be embittered under these circumstances, when I am prosecuted without grounds and given the dreadful label of an extremist."

After searches in May 2019, both believers ended up behind bars. They spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center, then they were placed under house arrest: Tatyana for 9 months, and Valentina for 2 years and 4 months. The believers were accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation was conducted by the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Smolensk Region.

The Promyshlennyy District Court returned the case to the Prosecutor's Office twice because of violations. The final hearing began in April 2023 and the trial was led by Judge Lyudmila Kovaleva. During the proceedings, Galkevich and Vladimirova repeatedly stressed that the case materials only indicate their religious affiliation with Jehovah's Witnesses. However, they do not mention any extremist actions or statements. The believers were also baffled by a religious expert study carried out by a graduate of the Orthodox Theological Academy, PhD in Theology, specializing in the "elders of Valaam ascetics."

Valentina Vladimirova and Tatiana Galkevich can appeal the verdict in the court of appeal.

In the Smolensk Region, six more of Jehovah's Witnesses have faced prosecution by the authorities. Five of them were given suspended sentences ranging from 6 to 6.5 years.

The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk

Case History
In May 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case against Valentina Vladimirova and Tatyana Galkevich, pensioners from Smolensk, for their faith. The women were accused of “participating in joint prayers to Jehovah and discussing Bible interpretations,” which the investigation interprets as participating in extremist activity. Their homes were searched, and they were taken into custody. Galkevich spent 6 months behind bars and about 9 months under house arrest. Vladimirova also spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center, and then almost 2.5 years under house arrest. In October 2020, the case went to court, but it was immediately returned to the prosecutor. A religious expert study in the case was carried out by a graduate of the Orthodox Theological Academy. After 2 months, the retrial of the case began, but in March 2022 it was returned to the prosecutor’s office for revision. In April 2023, the case went to court again, and in February 2024, a 2-year suspended sentence was given.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Smolensk Region
Locality:
Smolensk
Suspected of:
According to the investigation she “participated in joint prayers to ‘Jehovah’ and discussion of the interpretation of the Bible ... provided her apartment for holding secret meetings” (from the indictment)
Court case number:
11901660013000061
Initiated:
May 14, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigating Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Smolensk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-211/2023
Court of First Instance:
Промышленный районный суд г. Смоленска
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Людмила Ковалева
Case History