Dmitriy Barmakin

Dmitriy Barmakin

Dmitriy Barmakin

Unjust Verdicts

The Third Appeal in the Case of Dmitriy Barmakin Sentenced Him to 8 Years for Peaceful Religious Beliefs

Primorye Territory

On February 6, 2024, another appeal upheld the conviction of Dmitriy Barmakin: 8 years in a penal colony for believing in God. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.

The litigation of the peaceful believer has been going on for more than 4.5 years — since June 2019. During this time, he was acquitted and then convicted again, he spent 550 days behind bars, separated from his wife, who is also on trial for her faith. This was the first incident when the law enforcement began to practice criminal prosecution across family members.

Although the 2017 Supreme Court decision to liquidate legal entities does not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their religion, almost 800 believers have already been prosecuted, and the number of searches has exceeded 2,000.

Barmakin's case in Vladivostok

Case History
Dmitriy Barmakin came to Vladivostok from Crimea to take care of his sick mother-in-law and her elderly mother. In July 2018, law enforcement officers in masks and with weapons broke into their house with a search. Dmitriy was arrested, and he spent 1.5 years in the pre-trial detention center. The judge returned the criminal case to the prosecutor due to the ambiguity of the charges, stating in the ruling that freedom of religion is the constitutional right of Barmakin like any citizen of the Russian Federation. In April 2021, the case went to court again, and 7 months later, Judge Stanislav Salnikov fully acquitted the believer. In April 2022, the regional court overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial. Barmakin was sentenced to 8 years in prison. In August 2023, an appeal overturned this verdict as well, released the man and sent the case for a third trial to the court of first instance. This decision was appealed by the prosecutor, and the cassation sent the case to a different composition of the court of appeal, which in February 2024 approved the conviction—8 years in a penal colony.
Timeline

Persons in case

Barmakin
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Vladivostok
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as "organizing the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802050005000051
Initiated:
July 27, 2018
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-43/2023 (1-391/2022; 1-305/2021; 1-21/2020; 1-388/2019)
[i18n] Рассматривает по существу:
Первореченский районный суд г. Владивостока
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Лариса Смоленкова
Case History