Court of Appeal in Kursk Mitigated Punishment for Their Faith Against Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and the Chausovs. Dmitriy Chausov Released

On May 26, 2025, the Kursk Regional Court reduced the sentences imposed on three Jehovah's Witnesses: for Nikolay Kupriyanskiy to 4.5 years and the Chausovs to 1 year and 10 months. The verdict has entered into force. Dmitriy Chausov was released the same day, as he had already served his entire term in a pretrial detention center.

The prosecutor filed an appeal against the verdict of court of first instance, in which he requested the punishment to be toughened against the believers: Kupriyanskiy — 7 years in a penal colony, the Chausov couple — 3 years. The state prosecutor requested the same terms in the court of first instance.

Dmitriy Chausov after being released from the pretrial detention center. May 26, 2025

The defendants also appealed the court's decision. They asked to be acquitted due to the absence of a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. One of the believers' lawyers stated that criminal prosecution for religious beliefs degrades human dignity: "The actions of the investigation and the court are aimed at intimidating the convicted person and his fellow believers and forcing them to renounce their faith. Such treatment is also considered inhumane and caused them deep physical and moral suffering."

The trend of prosecuting entire families of Jehovah's Witnesses has continued for several years, and the case of the Chausovs is just one of many examples. All this is happening despite the ECHR's demand to completely stop the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.