The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan

Senior Investigator for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region N. P. Banko initiates a criminal case against Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, Yevgeniy Ivanov and his wife, Olga. Klikunov, Diarov and Ivanov are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities). Olga Ivanova is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 (participation in extremist activities).

In the morning, a series of searches were carried out in Astrakhan in 27 families of local Jehovah's Witnesses. More than a hundred security officials are involved in the searches. Sergey Klikunov, 45, Rustam Diarov, 46, Yevgeny Ivanov, 43, and his wife, Olga Ivanova, 37, were detained for three days. They are placed in a temporary detention facility.

Natalia Senchenko and Olga Ivanova, judges of the Kirovsky District Court of Astrakhan, send Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeniy Ivanov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. All three have families. Yevgeny Ivanov's wife, Olga, is put under house arrest by a judge of the same court, Nadezhda Melikhova, for 2 months.

It becomes known that Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov were transferred to Detention Center No. 2 in the Astrakhan Region.

Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov are transferred to another pre-trial detention center - SIZO-1 in the Astrakhan region.

The Astrakhan Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Alexei Zhogin, reverses the decision of the Trusovsky District Court of June 11, 2020 to recognize as lawful the search in B.V.'s home, which took place on June 9, and decides to transfer the case materials for a new trial to the same court, but with a different composition. The judge found that the court had violated B.V.'s constitutional rights to participate in the hearing and express his position, the adversarial principle of the parties and other requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Under similar circumstances, searches were carried out that day in 27 families of local believers.

N. P. Banko, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region, initiates a criminal case against 55-year-old Anna Safronova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3. Among other things, she is charged with participating in divine services together with Yevgeny Ivanov and other believers.

From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Anna Safronova and her 81-year-old mother are searched: the security forces even check the inspection hatches in the bathroom, as well as air ducts. A year ago, the woman was already searched with the seizure of all electronic devices. This time, electronic equipment is again seized from her, including a laptop that was recently returned after the first search.

Anna is taken to the building of the Investigative Committee, and then placed in a temporary detention facility in the city of Astrakhan. It is expected that on June 3 the court will determine a measure of restraint for the believer.

The preventive measure for Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov, Yevgeniy and Olga Ivanov is extended until November 30, 2021.

In the Trusovsky District Court of Astrakhan, hearings on the criminal case against believers begin. Judge Elena Zakharova rejects the petition of the 3 accused to exclude evidence and to refuse the appointed lawyers.

The court satisfies the defendants' requests to familiarize themselves with the case materials, which they did not have time to familiarize themselves with during the preliminary investigation due to time limitations.

The judge denies Diarov and Klikunov a written request to refuse their appointed lawyers, but grants a similar request by Ivanov. Now Yevgeny Ivanov has a lawyer by agreement. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.

The court satisfies the motions to refuse the appointed lawyers, which Rustam Diarov and Sergey Klikunov have filed for the third time.

A new judge, Alexei Semin, is starting to consider the case. He provides Diarov, Klikunov and Ivanova with appointed lawyers. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The believers express their attitude to the accusation - they do not admit guilt in extremism, claiming that they simply peacefully professed their religious beliefs, without harming anyone and actually not violating any laws of the state and society. The judge interrupts Olga Ivanova and does not allow her to speak, arguing that everything is in the case file.

The prosecutor refuses to question 21 prosecution witnesses.

11 defense witnesses are being questioned, most of whom are not Jehovah's Witnesses: colleagues, employer, neighbors, and relatives. A former neighbor of Yevgeny Ivanov describes him as follows: "A very good man, best friend, he still has the keys to my house, I trust him."

The questioning of defence witnesses is ongoing. A former client, for whom Ivanov made repairs, says that Yevgeny "has golden hands, 6 years have passed - there are no flaws in the work."

The defense challenges the judge in connection with the violation of the principle of adversarial parties. The court rejects it.

The court, at the request of the defense, attaches to the case the decisions of the ECHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The prosecutor of the Trusovsky district of Astrakhan, I. D. Sorokina, asks the court to sentence the believers to: Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov and Yevgeniy Ivanov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to lead and participate in the work of public organizations for a term of 5 years and with restriction of liberty for 1 year; Olga Ivanova under Part 2 of Article 282.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to lead and participate in the work of public organizations for a term of 3 years and with restriction of liberty for 1 year.

The defendants make their final statements.

Olga Ivanova is held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Narimanov, Astrakhan region. She can receive letters of support. In the first 5 days from the moment of her arrest, Olga has already received 38 letters.

In the pre-trial detention center, Olga is visited by her mother.