New searches in Shuya, 10-year-old child interrogated

On June 26, 2018, in the city of Shuya (Ivanovo Region), police conducted new searches in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Adults and a young child were interrogated, and three citizens were asked not to leave on their own recognizance. Earlier, on April 20, 2018, mass searches were already carried out in the homes of believers in the city. 40-year-old Dmitry Mikhailov was sent to a pre-trial detention center.

According to investigators, a hidden video camera was installed in one of the believers' apartments. After new searches, the believers were taken to the body of the Investigative Committee. A 10-year-old girl was also taken there and interrogated there. During the interrogation, in the presence of the school psychologist, the child was forced to disclose the religion of the family, she burst into tears. Her mother threatened that if she refused to cooperate with the investigation, she could be charged with another crime - "involving minors in the commission of a crime."

It became known that new criminal cases were initiated and a written undertaking not to leave four local residents, a man and three women, including Elena Mikhailova, the wife of Dmitry Mikhailov, was taken. Since May 29, 2018, Dmitry Mikhailov has been in custody in a pre-trial detention center, although he is the only son of an elderly mother and takes care of her, has a permanent place of residence and work, as well as other close social ties in the city of Shuya.

The accusation is built by substituting concepts: the constitutional right of everyone to profess his religion and the criminal offense of participation in an extremist organization. Electronic devices, hard drives, cameras, personal notes, documents, Bibles, including in the Orthodox Synodal translation, musical notes and even a children's diary of a music school were confiscated from citizens. A new criminal case has been initiated. The investigator for all cases is Captain of Justice Alexander Ryazantsev. Earlier, believers in this city reported that during interrogations, Captain Ryazantsev insulted them and their religious beliefs.

The repression for faith in Shuya drew the attention of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation. On June 20, 2018, the Council mentioned criminal proceedings in this city and called on the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality of initiating these and similar cases in other cities.