Photo source: Aaron / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Photo source: Aaron / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Photo source: Aaron / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Criminal trial

The authorities of Ussuriysk consider a friendly meeting in a café a criminal offense. Two More Believers Became Accused

Primorye Territory

On October 22, 2019, the deputy head of the investigation department for Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory), Captain of Justice V. Golsky, charged local residents Dmitry Tishchenko and Anton Chermnykh under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and they were charged with a written undertaking not to leave.

This criminal case was initiated on March 30, 2019. Until now, there was only one defendant in it - 52-year-old Sergei Korolchuk.

According to the investigation, these men are charged with "a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state," namely, that they gathered with friends in a café where they "listened to sermons", "answered questions" and "sang religious chants".

On June 18, 2019, law enforcers searched Dmytro Tishchenko's apartment. Mobile phones and other electronic devices were seized from him. Dmitry's wife was interrogated as a witness to the "crime".

Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk

Case History
In June 2019 in the city of Ussuriysk, searches were conducted in the homes of peaceful citizens Sergey Korolchuk and Dmitriy Tishchenko. The searches were conducted because of a criminal case under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation initiated by E. Marvanyuk, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory. The third defendant was Anton Chermnykh, the father of a young child. The case was based on the testimony of FSB officer K. Rusakov, who for about a year followed the believers and listened in on Tishchenko’s telephone conversations. In the opinion of the investigation, by meeting friends in a cafe to discuss the Bible, the men committed “a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the State.” The believers were under house arrest for almost three years. In September 2020 Judge Dmitry Babushkin began considering the case in the Ussuriysky District Court. The defense emphasized that the key witness gave false testimony, and expert Oleshkevich made a biased and incompetent conclusion. On November 30, 2022, the judge found the believers guilty and gave them six-year suspended prison sentences, and in May 2023 the appellate court upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Chermnykh
Anton
Korolchuk
Sergey
Tishchenko
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Ussuriysk
Suspected of:
According to the investigation he “took steps to organize the recruitment of new members aimed at continuing the illegal activities of the banned religious organization ‘Jehovah's Witnesses Administrative Center in Russia’” (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of the religious organization “Jehovah's Witnesses Administrative Center in Russia” and its structural divisions)
Court case number:
11902050012000027
Initiated:
June 18, 2019
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigation Department for Ussuriysk city of the Investigation Administration of the IC of Russia for Primorye Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-9/2022 (1-57/2021; 1-659/2020)
Court:
Уссурийский районный суд Приморского края
Judge:
Дмитрий Бабушкин
Case History