Galina Komissarova with her friends in front of the Samara Regional Court building

Galina Komissarova with her friends in front of the Samara Regional Court building

Galina Komissarova with her friends in front of the Samara Regional Court building

Unjust Verdicts

Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentence for Teacher from Tolyatti for Reading Bible

Samara Region

On November 1, 2024, the Samara Regional Court upheld the sentence of 63-year-old Galina Komissarova: 2 years suspended. The prosecutor insisted on a real term for a pensioner from Tolyatti.

Speaking before the appeals panel of judges, Galina Komissarova expressed her disagreement with the accusation: "I only participated in worship services that do not contain signs of extremism and, therefore, are not a crime ... I have only a sense of pain and regret for the injustice of the grave accusation brought against me." Galina considers what is happening to her to be political repression.

Religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Samara region continues despite the clarifications of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on freedom of conscience and religion.

The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti

Case History
One early morning of September 2023, Galina Komissarova, a resident of Tolyatti, was woken up by a loud knock on the door. Officers of the Investigative Committee, who came to search her home, said that a criminal case had been initiated against her for participating in meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Following the search, Komissarova was taken for interrogation, after which she was made to sign a recognizance agreement. Due to the stress she experienced, Galina was hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis. In October 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony. The court gave the pensioner a 2-year suspended sentence. The appeal court upheld the decision in November.
Timeline

Persons in case

Komissarova
Galina

Criminal case

Region:
Samara Region
Locality:
Tolyatti
Suspected of:
"with the use of conspiracy measures, including the use of a video communication application ... took an active part in the form of collective religious worship, consisting of a consistent study and discussion of the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses" (from the decision to bring as an accused)
Court case number:
12302360032000362
Initiated:
September 7, 2023
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Central Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-90/2024 (1-662/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Yelena Laskina
Case History
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