Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan

Case History

Vladlena Kukavitsa is one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses from Birobidzhan who were searched in February 2024. Shortly before that, the FSB opened a criminal case against the believer for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization because of talking about the Bible with a local resident. A month later, FSB investigator Dmitry Yankin, who had previously initiated criminal prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Birobidzhan, opened a second criminal case against the woman, this time on participation in the activities of an extremist organization.
Timeline

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    July 2022— January 2024

    The FSB is conducting operational-search measures against Vladlena Kukavits.

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    February 1, 2024 Case initiated Art. 282.2 (1.1)

    Investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region A.A. Karavaev initiates a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Vladlena Kukavitsa, who lives in Birobidzhan. According to the investigation, between July 2022 and January 2024, the believer repeatedly communicated via the Internet with a certain "Valeria Suvorova." Karavayev considered these conversations to be involvement in the activities of an extremist organization.

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    February 2, 2024 Search

    The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vladimirova Y.O., who had previously sentenced four Birobidzhan residents to a colony for a term of 3,5 to 7 years, issues a search warrant in the home of Vladlena Kukavitsa and her husband, as well as several other local Jehovah's Witnesses.

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    February 6, 2024 Search

    Searches are being conducted at the Kukavits' family and other believers from Birobidzhan, including the Postnikovs. The search of Vladlena's family is led by FSB investigator Dmitry Yankin, who previously initiated criminal cases against other Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. Electronic devices, storage media, personal records and the Bible are seized from the apartment. From the invasion of the security forces, the woman is experiencing severe stress.

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    March 5, 2024 Case initiated Art. 282.2 (2)

    Yankin opened a second criminal case against Vladlena Kukavitsa, this time under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Cases are combined into one proceeding.