The Court in Chuvashia Announced the Verdict for Faith to One of the Oldest Prisoners of Conscience. Yuriy Yuskov was sentenced to 5 years suspended

On March 15, 2024, the case against one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Yuriy Yuskov, who will become 86 less than in a month, was completed in the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic. Judge Aleksandr Zubov sentenced him to 5 years of suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period and 1 year and 4 months of restriction of freedom.

According to the investigation, Yuriy Yuskov is guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it, as he "carried out preaching activities, conducting conversations and teaching religious teaching." He was also accused, without evidence, of promoting the rupture of family relations. In response, the widower told about his marriage to Lyudmila, who did not share his religious views: "My wife and I lived as a family for 59 years and 43 days. Your Honor, how many families today are able to maintain their marriage for more than 1 year? I know for a fact that the Bible only strengthens family ties, not destroys them, even if family members profess different religions."

On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses but did not ban the practice of this religion. This idea was emphasized by Yuriy Yuskov at one of the hearings: "The Russian authorities have repeatedly publicly stated that the ban applies only to legal entities and does not prevent believers from practicing their religion. And I understood that I had not lost the right to peacefully practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses."

The persecution of pensioner Yuriy Yuskov began in November 2020, when they came to him with a search in the case of three believers from Cheboksary. The security forces returned with a second search in May 2023, when A. Mukhin, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, opened a criminal case against him. The accusation was based on the testimony of two secret witnesses; part of the court hearings was held behind closed doors, but the court allowed five listeners to attend the announcement of the verdict. About 30 more people who came to support the believer were waiting for the decision outside the courthouse.

Yuriy Yuskov intends to appeal the verdict.