The Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory sentenced 62-year-old Jehovah's Witness Alexander Kabanov to two and a half years' probation in the case of participation in an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). This was reported on the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia website.
“I heard the sound of a stun gun. They said that now we will fry. Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Surgut talk about torture
The state prosecution requested two and a half years in a penal colony for him.
According to investigators, the believer «organized the activities of 24 groups of members of the banned organization and supervised their activities.» As stated on the website of the religious organization, the security forces also accused Kabanov of talking about faith with those who do not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Zelonogorets was detained in December 2019. After that, he and several other believers were searched. Then Kabanov was charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code), but later the article was softened.
In 2017, the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses was recognized as extremist and banned from its activities in Russia. At the same time, in November 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the services of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be considered the activities of an extremist organization. In addition, the ECHR recognized the ban on the organization in Russia and the persecution of believers as illegal.
Secret Witnesses vs Jehovah's Witnesses. After the decision of the Supreme Court, dozens of believers have already been arrested throughout Russia