The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok sentenced Dmitry Barmakin, Jehovah's Witness, to 8 years in prison in the case of extremism (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). This was reported to Mediazone by the press service of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
In November 2021, the same court acquitted the believer, finding that he “never carried out extremist activities, professed the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including meeting and discussing his beliefs with fellow believers.” According to Jehovah's Witnesses, six months later, the court of appeal overturned the acquittal and returned the case to the first instance for consideration by a new court. The meetings were held behind closed doors. The prosecutor asked to appoint Barmakin 9 years in prison.
The believer was arrested in July 2018. After 15 months, which the «Jehovah's Witness» spent in a pre-trial detention center, he was assigned a ban on certain actions. In June 2019, the materials were submitted to the court, and in August a criminal case was opened against Elena Barmakina.
In 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the Jehovah's Witnesses as an extremist organization and banned its activities in Russia. After that, hundreds of believers became defendants in criminal cases. Most of the accused are being prosecuted under the article on organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization (Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). The reason for criminal cases is the joint prayers of believers, including online prayers, worship, reading religious literature.