Unjust Verdicts

The Court of Appeal in Pskov Overturned the Acquittal Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses Aleksey Khabarov

Pskov Region

On November 3, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Pskov overturned the acquittal verdict against Alexey Khabarov and sent the case for a new trial to the court of first instance comprising different judges.

The believer is being prosecuted under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation because of his religion. The "not guilty" verdict was handed down by the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region on June 27, 2022. The prosecutor's office, which had requested a sentence of 3.5 years in a penal colony, appealed the acquittal to the Pskov Regional Court of Appeal.

Although the believer has the right to appeal this appellate ruling (overturning the acquittal) to the Third Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction in St. Petersburg, his status has now changed from acquitted to defendant. The Porkhov District Court will have to schedule a hearing as soon as the case materials arrive there.

Case of Khabarov in Porkhov

Case History
In 2019, the FSB opened a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Porkhov. Security forces conducted searches and interrogated local believers. As a result, Aleksey Khabarov was accused of extremism. During the court hearings, all witnesses, including the FSB counter-terrorism officer, gave Khabarov positive characteristics. In September 2021, the court gave him a 3-year suspended sentence. The appeal overturned this decision, and in January 2022, a retrial of the case began in a new court. The prosecutor again asked Khabarov for 3.5 years in prison, but the court acquitted him. In November 2022, the appeal again sent the case for a new—third in a row—consideration in the same court. This time the believer was sentenced to 2.5 years in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. In December 2023, the appeal slightly changed this decision, reducing the period by 2 months.
Timeline

Persons in case

Khabarov
Aleksey

Criminal case

Region:
Pskov Region
Locality:
Porkhov
Suspected of:
"deliberately, in accordance with their religious beliefs and the goals of the Organization, pursuing the goal of spreading the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in the territory of the city of Porkhov, Pskov region, organized, directed and participated in the activities of its structural unit "Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Porkhov".
Court case number:
11907580001000018
Initiated:
March 28, 2019
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Federal Security Service of Russia in the Pskov Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-28/2023 (1-120/2022)
Court:
Порховский районный суд Псковской области
Judge:
Капустина Наталья
Case History