Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Criminal Investigation and Trial

Two more believers detained in Rostov-on-Don

Rostov Region

On the morning of June 10, 2019, 32-year-old Ruslan Alyev was detained for 48 hours at his home in Rostov-on-Don. A few hours later, it also became known about the detention of 22-year-old Rostov resident Semyon Baibak. According to preliminary data, they are waiting for a court decision on the measure of restraint, being in a temporary detention center on Voroshilovsky Avenue.

Update. On June 11, 2019, the court imposed house arrest on Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak. They left the detention center after spending a day behind bars

Ruslan Alyyev's wife was informed that a criminal case had been opened against her husband for his faith. Earlier, on May 22, 2019, employees of the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted raids on at least 15 addresses of Rostov residents who were suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Men and women were detained. Three believers — father and son Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Alexander Parkovwere then sent to jail.

Law enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses "do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually."

Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don

Case History
Ruslan Alyev, a native of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, spent about 1.5 years under house arrest while the First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation conducted an investigation into how he prayed, read the Bible and talked with his wife and friends about their common faith. Alyev was accused of participating in extremist activities. Among the evidence against Ruslan was the testimony of a secret witness, whose words were accepted by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of the Rostov Region, Vladimir Strokov, even without questioning. The court also did not give the defense the opportunity to question a secret witness. In December 2020, Ruslan Alyev was found guilty. On March 1, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court, by an appeal decision, upheld the sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment imposed on him. The court of cassation did not satisfy the believer’s appeal against the appeal decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Rostov Region
Locality:
Rostov-on-Don
Suspected of:
по версии следствия, участвовал в религиозных собраниях, в том числе в богослужениях; вносил пожертвования; занимался агитацией среди лиц, не являющихся последователями религиозного учения Свидетелей Иеговы.
Court case number:
11902007712000041
Initiated:
June 6, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Первое следственное управление (с дислокацией в г. Ростов-на-Дону) Главного следственного управления СК РФ
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-297/2020
Court:
Ленинский районный суд Ростовской области
Case History