“ The whole world says that Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be extremists, that they are pacifists, that they do not take up arms and never speak against the state, they do not interfere in politics, ” said Yegozarian, 56. Other defendants echoed his statement, with Melnik, 49, saying “ I have tried to do good, to show love and justice, to take care of people ” and Peresunko, 43, noting “ I am being judged because I learned the truth that is in the Bible and discussed it with my friends. “We learned from the Bible that only God can deal with all of humanity's problems. “ Jehovah's Witnesses are peaceful, politically neutral people,” said Valery Rogozin, 59, in his last words in court. Another 56 worshippers are currently in prison awaiting sentencing, 31 are under house arrest and a total of 541 have faced persecution, according to the organization’s tally. The latest convictions bring the total number of Jehovah’s Witnesses handed prison sentences to 39 since Russia’s Supreme Court declared the Christian denomination extremist in 2017.
Prosecutors had asked judge Iryna Struk for 9- and 7-year sentences for the worshippers.
The Traktorozavodsky district court sentenced Valery Rogozin to 6 years and 5 months, Igor Yegozaryan and Sergei Melnik to 6 years, and Denis Peresunko to 6 years and 3 months “for praying and discussing the Bible with fellow believers. A court in the city of Volgograd in southwestern Russia sentenced four Jehovah’s Witnesses to more than 6 years in prison each on extremism charges Thursday, the religious organization said in a statement.
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