Sergey Chechulin and his wife Yelena on the day of the appeal hearing. April 8, 2025

Sergey Chechulin and his wife Yelena on the day of the appeal hearing. April 8, 2025

Sergey Chechulin and his wife Yelena on the day of the appeal hearing. April 8, 2025

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Appeal in Kamchatka Again Upheld Verdict Against Jehovah's Witness Couple. They Were Given Long Suspended Sentences

Kamchatka Territory

On April 8, 2025, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the decision of the court of first instance against Yelena and Sergey Chechulin — a 6-year suspended sentence for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the court classified discussing the Bible with friends.

The court issued the first guilty verdict under the article on participating in the activity of a liquidated legal entity. The believers were given a 2-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor's office sought to apply a more serious article, but the court of appeal did not toughen the sentence. However, the court of cassation returned the case for reconsideration to the court of first instance, which tripled the sentence, and the second court of appeal upheld this decision.

The Chechulins still consider themselves innocent of extremism. Sergey voiced his position in court as follows: "Neither I nor my wife want to harm the state or people."

The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

Case History
Sergey and Yelena Chechulin became defendants in yet another criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. In September 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a case against them on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A month later, their home was searched, and the couple were placed under a recognizance agreement. In December 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the Chechulins, but the court applied an article of a lesser charge for participating in the activity of an extremist organization and in April 2024 gave the couple a 2-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this decision, but in October of the same year, the court of cassation sent the case for reconsideration. In February 2025, a second sentence was handed down — 6 years suspended. This decision was upheld by the second court of appeal.
Timeline

Persons in case

Chechulin
Sergey
Chechulina
Yelena

Criminal case

Region:
Kamchatka Territory
Locality:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Suspected of:
in "convening meetings, organizing religious talks and meetings for worship, in accordance with the ideology of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses at these meetings... Conducted routine training with other persons on the teachings of the religious association "Jehovah's Witnesses"" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)
Court case number:
12202300011000019
Initiated:
September 25, 2022
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-98/2025 (1-1079/2024; 1-70/2024; 1-997/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court of the Kamchatka Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Olga Obraztsova
Case History
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