Photo: Sergey Skrynnikov

Unjust Verdicts

A court imposed a heavy fine on a second believer in Oryol

Oryol Region

To find Sergey Vladimirovich Skrynnikov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to a fine in the amount of 350 thousand rubles. Such a decision regarding a peaceful teacher was announced on April 1, 2019 by Gleb Noskov, a judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel. The case against Sergey Skrynnikov was separated from the criminal case of Dennis Christensen, who had previously been sent to a penal colony for 6 years by the same court.

There are no victims or victims in both criminal trials. The criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the liquidation and prohibition of registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens, the right to which has not been abolished, for participation in an extremist organization.

The case of Sergey Skrynnikov was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Oryol region on February 20, 2018 under the article "participation in the activities of an extremist organization." A written undertaking not to leave was taken from the believer. In May 2018, an inspection was carried out in his house, during which not a single item prohibited by law was found.

The court considered the charges of calling for the destruction of the family and non-recognition of the authorities brought by investigators against Sergei Skrynnikov far-fetched.

Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol

Case History
The second Jehovah’s Witness in Oryol to be prosecuted after Dane Dennis Christensen was a school physical education teacher, Sergey Skrynnikov. In February 2018, the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Oryol Region, A.O. Kompaniets, opened a criminal case against the believer for “participation in the activities of an extremist organization.” Later, an inspection was carried out in his house, during which law enforcement officers did not find anything prohibited. Having neither evidence of guilt nor victims in the case, the prosecutor Naumova requested 3 years in a general regime colony for Sergey. On April 1, 2019, Gleb Noskov, a judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, found the believer guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine of 350,000 rubles. The appellate instance did not change this decision. On October 9, 2019, a complaint was filed with the ECHR in the Skrynnikov case.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Oryol Region
Locality:
Oryol
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he participated in religious services, which is interpreted as participating in the activity of an extremist organisation (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802540002000011
Initiated:
February 20, 2018
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Oryol Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1 – 121/2018
[i18n] Рассматривает по существу:
Железнодорожный районный суд г. Орла
Judge:
Глеб Борисович Носков
Case History