The Tenth Criminal Case for Christian Convictions in Krasnoyarsk Territory; 62-year-old Believer Accused of Extremism

On March 25, 2020, investigator K.O. Zhuikov opened a criminal case against Anatoly Gorbunov, a 62-year-old resident of Krasnoyarsk. The believer was accused of continuing the activities of an "extremist organization" for meeting with fellow believers.

Anatoly Gorbunov became the tenth believer who is persecuted for his Christian beliefs in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

In the decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Zhuikov indicates that the believer "held religious meetings ... in order to continue the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses contrary to the ban", implying the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 17, 2017.

In reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin. The wording used by the investigator underlines the widespread practice of Russian law enforcement agencies to mistakenly generalize the concept of a legal entity and the believers themselves.