Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Law enforcement officials conduct another raid against believers in Russia's Far East. A 40-year-old man is detained

Khabarovsk Territory

On October 22, 2020, searches were conducted in the town of Sovetskaya Gavan (Khabarovsk Territory). Aleksey Ukhov, 40, was detained, his electronic devices were taken from him and he was placed into isolator in neighboring settlement Vanino. Details are being clarified.

To search the home of Alexei Ukhov, a graphic artist for a local newspaper, FSB officers arrived from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, located more than 500 km from the believer's place of residence. The investigative action was carried out within the framework of a criminal case initiated on October 21, 2020 by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the FSB, Y. A. Nelyubin. During the 5-hour search, electronic devices, flash drives, SIM cards, bank cards, personal records and printed publications — a total of 117 items — were seized from the Ukhov spouses. After the search, by the evening of October 22, Aleksey Ukhov was detained.

He was able to inform his wife about his whereabouts only the next day. At the same time, the Vanino court chose a measure of restraint for a peaceful believer in the form of detention for 2 months. According to investigators, Ukhov "committed actions ... aimed at reading prayers ... studying and quoting the texts of the Holy Scriptures ... and psalm songs", which, according to the investigation, is a manifestation of extremism.

Update. On the same day, law enforcement officers searched the apartment of a local believer. At about 2:00 p.m., 8 law enforcement officers broke in, one of whom was wearing a mask and carrying a machine gun. They seized the woman’s Bible and electronic devices, as well as a TV and modem. According to the believer, the authorities planted and immediately “found” a videotape and a printed publication from the federal list of extremist materials in the apartment. During the search, the woman was questioned about her religious beliefs and fellow believers, in particular about Alexei Ukhov. A few days before the searches in Sovetskaya Gavan, interrogations of believers took place. On October 16, 2020, a police officer allegedly visited a local resident and inquired about how Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sovetskaya Gavan were holding their religious meetings and Bible discussions. The woman was summoned for questioning at the police station. On October 19, law enforcement officers also interrogated her son.

Sovetskaya Gavan is an administrative center with a population of about 40,000 people located near Sakhalin Island on the coast of the Tatar Strait. Aleksey Ukhov is already the 14th believer in Khabarovsk Territory, who was only repressed for his faith in God Jehovah.

The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan

Case History
In October 2020, a 5-hour search took place in the house of the Ukhovs — graphic artist Aleksey and X-ray technician Liliya — after which Aleksey was detained and five days later sent 540 kilometers from home to Khabarovsk SIZO No. 1 for a forced psychiatric examination. The reason for treating a peaceful believer from Sovetskaya Gavan like this, was that the day before an FSB investigator had initiated a criminal case against Ukhov under an article for extremism. According to the investigation, he “performed actions aimed at reading prayers… studying and citing texts of the Holy Scriptures… and the Psalms.” While behind bars, Aleksey was illegally deprived of letters of support from relatives and friends for about 3 months. In July 2021, Aleksey was released from the detention center under a recognizance agreement, and in August the case went to court. In March 2023, the believer was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony. However, in July, the court of appeal replaced the actual imprisonment with a suspended one for the same duration.
Timeline

Persons in case

Ukhov
Aleksey

Criminal case

Region:
Khabarovsk Territory
Locality:
Sovetskaya Gavan
Suspected of:
"performed actions aimed at reading prayers ... studying and quoting the texts of the Holy Scriptures ... and psalm songs"
Court case number:
12007080001000073
Initiated:
October 21, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-207/2021
Court:
Sovetsko-Gavanskiy City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory
Judge:
Viktoria Anokhina
Case History
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