Archives: Commissioner of Primorye to the Council for Religious Affairs under the USSR Council of Ministers on the trial of Boris Perchatkin
For official use only.
Council for Religious Affairs under the
Council of Ministers of the USSR
Moscow
In addition to No. 415s of September 12, 1980
On April 3, 1981, the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Primorsky Territorial Court, after a two-week open court hearing of the criminal case against Boris Georgievich Perchatkin on charges of committing a crime under Article 190-1 of the RSFSR Criminal Code (dissemination of knowingly false fabrications defaming the Soviet state and social system), found him guilty and sentenced him to 2 years of deprivation of liberty to be served in a general-regime correctional labor colony (copy of the sentence is attached).
Due to concerns that the court panel might commit errors stemming from its members’ ignorance of constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience, the fundamental provisions of legislation on religious cults, and the specifics of the doctrine and cultic practices of the Pentecostal sect of the Voronaev persuasion, before the court hearing of the criminal case began, I proposed that the presiding judge of this panel be consulted on these matters. The thorough discussion with him on these issues, the provision of materials with state acts on religion and the church, as well as brief reference materials and certain articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights relating to religion and the church, according to him, were timely, useful, and contributed to ensuring the necessary conditions for a more thorough, complete, and objective examination of the case materials.
Throughout the entire trial, the accused and most of the witnesses from the Pentecostals attempted to reduce the episodes of Perchatkin’s criminal acts to actions allegedly dictated solely by his religious convictions, and thus to portray the charges brought against him as persecution for his faith. However, they did not succeed.
In order to avoid the necessity of summoning the Council’s commissioner to court as a witness, as early as during the investigation, after my explanation about the commissioner’s status, it was decided to limit ourselves to sending to the investigator a corresponding letter setting forth the unlawful and antisocial manifestations of B.G. Perchatkin known to me (a copy is attached). The materials set forth in it satisfied the court panel during the trial.
According to information received, the relatives and other persons from among Perchatkin’s closest associates who were present at the trial took notes throughout the court session and intend to use them for hostile purposes, to appeal not only to higher judicial and government instances but also to the international community.
To suppress possible hostile actions on their part, appropriate preventive measures are being taken against the most extremist-minded individuals from among Perchatkin’s associates.
The foregoing is submitted for your information.
Enclosures:
- Copy of the sentence of April 3, 1981 concerning B.G. Perchatkin, 11 pages.
- Copy of the letter to the Primorsky Territory Prosecutor’s Office regarding B.G. Perchatkin, dated November 13, 1980, 6 pages.
Commissioner of the Council for the Primorsky Territory
V.I. Chupin
©2011 Boris Perchatkin. This archival material is exclusive and has not been previously published anywhere; therefore, the publication or use of the documents in this article specifically (this does not apply to the entire site) is possible only with my written permission.
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