Photo: Search of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mordovia (2019)

Photo: Search of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mordovia (2019)

Photo: Search of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mordovia (2019)

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

New searches and interrogations of peaceful Christians in Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk Region

On the morning of July 29, 2019, another wave of police raids on the apartments of believers took place in Novosibirsk. The next victims were Igor Muravyov, Anton Shakhmatov, Oleg Epifanov, Sergey Kozlyuk and Alexander Serikov. The investigation suspects them of professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. Personal property was seized.

At about 8 a.m. on July 29, the search began in the apartment of 54-year-old Igor Muravyov. He himself was at work at that time. His wife managed to contact her husband and tell him about what happened, but after a while the connection with him was lost. Later it became known that Igor Muravyov was taken to the police station for interrogation.

On the same day, information was received about two more searches carried out in the homes of Anton Shakhmatov and Oleg Epifanov. They were also taken to the local police station for questioning. It is known about searches in the apartments of Sergey Kozlyuk and Alexander Serikov. Details are being specified.

In Novosibirsk, criminal cases for faith have already been initiated against six people. One of them, Yuri Savelyev, has been behind bars for more than six months. Believers claim that they have nothing to do with extremism.

Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk

Case History
Six years in a penal colony—this was the harsh sentence that 66-year-old Yuri Savelyev from the city of Novosibirsk received for his faith. The man was arrested in November 2018 during searches in the homes of believers. He was in pre-trial detention until his sentencing in December 2020. The appellate court, and later the cassation court, upheld the verdict. In May 2021, Yuriy Savelyev was transferred to Penal Colony No. 5 in the city of Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory. In the colony, the administration, with no legitimate basis, tried to force the believer into treatment for alcoholism. On far-fetched grounds, the elderly man spent about nine months in harsh conditions of detention. Yuriy was released in July 2023.
Timeline

Persons in case

Savelyev
Yuriy

Criminal case

Region:
Novosibirsk Region
Locality:
Novosibirsk
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he unlawfully organised the activity of the religious organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Novosibirsk (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:
11802500019000098
Initiated:
November 7, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-42/2020 (1-820/2019)
Court:
Leninskiy District Court of the City of Novosibirsk
Case History
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