Photo: search of believers (2016)

Photo: search of believers (2016)

Photo: search of believers (2016)

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

In the Murmansk Region, Searches and Arrests of Citizens Believed to Be Jehovah's Witnesses

Murmansk Region

On the evening of April 18, 2018, three searches were conducted in the homes of local residents in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region). 16 citizens, including minors, were taken for interrogation to the investigative department. They were asked questions about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogations continued until 7 a.m. the next day.

Two citizens, men 44 years old and 61 years old, who were seen in the police, do not get in touch. Presumably, they were arrested.

Earlier, on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled to liquidate the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses "Polyarny", along with other 395 registered associations of this religion throughout the country. Thus, the searches were a direct consequence of this decision of the Supreme Court.

Update. Later it became known that a total of searches took place in 6 houses, the last of them ended at 4:15 am. The interrogations of 13 people continued until 6 a.m.

Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny

Case History
In April 2017, the families of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the attention of the FSB officers in the Murmansk region. A year later, a series of searches took place in Polyarny, after which 13 citizens, including the minor Violetta Markina, were taken for interrogations, which lasted until 6 a.m. the next day. Investigator A. V. Gulin considered prayers and reading the Bible dangerous acts for the state. Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. They spent another 4 months under house arrest. After 20 court hearings, the prosecutor requested 6 years in prison for Roman Markin and 6 years and 5 months for Viktor Trofimov. On January 24, 2020, Viktoriya Loginova, a judge of the Polyarny District Court, sentenced the believers to fines: Viktor Trofimov in the amount of 350,000 rubles, and Roman Markin - 300,000 rubles. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Markin
Roman
Trofimov
Viktor

Criminal case

Region:
Murmansk Region
Locality:
Polyarny
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he together with others conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802470006000031
Initiated:
April 12, 2018
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-23/2019
Case History