Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

In Adler, Police Officers Detained a Believer From Saratov

Saratov Region,   Krasnodar Territory

On February 15, 2020, Adler police detained Saratov resident Rustam Seidkuliev in a shopping center. He was taken to a police station and later placed in a special detention center for 5 days. From there, he was transported under escort to Saratov and changed the measure of restraint to house arrest.

In September 2019, the spouses Rustam and Yulia Seidkulievs moved from Saratov to Adler for family reasons.

On February 15, 2020, Rustam and Yulia were walking through a shopping center. Suddenly, they were approached by police officers. They did not identify themselves and did not show their documents. Rustam showed his driver's license, but he was still taken to the police station for identification. Later, Yulia was informed that her husband had been detained. The next day, Rustam was notified that he was wanted, so he would be placed in a special detention center for 5 days.

On February 20, 2020, the believer was transported under escort to his parents' apartment, where a search was conducted, but nothing prohibited was found.

In the meantime, several law enforcement officers arrived from Saratov to pick up Rustam. The next day, the believer was taken to Saratov and handed over to the staff of the Investigative Committee. The investigator said that Seidkuliev was suspected of extremism, and a criminal case had been initiated against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. After that, the believer was placed in a local temporary detention facility.

On February 22, 2020, a trial was held in the case of Seidkuliev, he was assigned a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for two months.

Now Rustam lives in a small one-room apartment with his grandmother. Due to the tightness, Julia has to live separately from her husband. In March 2019, Saratov security forces had already interrogated the spouses about their religion and fellow believers.

Note dated 16.03.2020: clarifications have been made to the text.

Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov

Case History
In January 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Rustam Seidkuliev. He was accused of extremism for reading and discussing the Bible. Two weeks later, the police detained a believer in a shopping center in Adler. He was transported to the city of Saratov and placed under house arrest for seven months. In March 2021, Seidkuliev’s case came to court. Two months later he was found guilty and sentenced to two and a half years in a general regime colony. The regional court reduced this period by two months. The Court of Cassation approved this decision. Seidkuliev served his sentence in Penal Colony-33 in Saratov. During this time, the FSB accomplished the revocation of his Russian citizenship. In April 2023, the believer was released from the colony, and in September he was deported to Turkmenistan.
Timeline

Persons in case

Seidkuliev
Rustam

Criminal case

Region:
Saratov Region
Locality:
Saratov
Court case number:
12002630006000014
Initiated:
January 29, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the Leninskiy District of Saratov of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-229/2021
Court:
Leninskiy District Court of Saratov
Judge:
Andrey Yefimov
Case History
Back to top