Jehovah’s Witness* from Karachay-Cherkessia calls persecution of believers unfair

The Urupsky District Court of Karachay-Cherkessia is considering a case against Jehovah’s Witnesses* Irina Perefilieva and Svetlana Gergokova, charged under extremist articles. Irina Perefilieva complains that believers were praying and discussing the creed, and public prosecutors did not provide a single fact confirming the validity of the criminal prosecution.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region stand out in terms of the number of criminal cases instituted against Jehovah’s Witnesses* in Southern Russia. In Karachay-Cherkessia, one case has been instituted against believers from the village of Mednogorsky, reports the spokesperson for the European Association of Jehovah'’ Witnesses*.

In January 2021, in the village of Mednogorsky, FSB officers conducted searches in the apartments of believers, including Irina Perefilieva. In November 2021, the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) instituted a criminal case against her for involvement in the activities of the extremist organization. In the same month, Irina Perefilieva was also accused of participating in the activities of the extremist organization. According to the investigators’ version, the woman organized religious services for believers and studied religious books together with them.

At the court hearing held on December 6, Irina Perefilieva stated that “a joint discussion of creeds, prayers, and worships are a common practice for many faiths, and the spread of faith or preaching is a hallmark of Christianity.”

*396 Russian organizations of Jehovah’s Witnesses are recognized as extremist, and their activities in Russia are banned by court’s decision.