[{"body":"On April 18, 2022, the judge of the Norilskiy City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Natalia Kuzmenkova decided to return to the prosecutor the case against Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev. According to the judge, their being Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime.\nThe criminal prosecution of Shevelev and Polozov began in October 2019, when the special forces broke into a campsite in Norilsk, where men rested along with their friends. Two years later, the case against the believers was sent to the Norilskiy City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The prosecutor demanded the punishment in the form of 6 years of suspended sentence with a trial period of 5 years with a ban to occupy senior positions in public organizations.\nAleksandr Polozov spent 90 days in the detention center. \"The most difficult thing was to part with my wife,\" said the believer. His arrest was especially painful for Aleksandr's mother: she had to call the ambulance on several occasions. In spite of the difficulties, Aleksandr preserves a positive attitude: \"Even if the situation seems hopeless, [it is important] not to get discouraged.\"\nThe events had a negative effect on Stepan Shevelev's family as well. He and his spouse are grateful to fellow believers for their support. Stepan recalls: \"At times the messages came when we were in the strongest fear and anxiety.\" They themselves also try to help those in need.\nAlready 26 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory face criminal persecution for their faith. Two of them—Andrey Stupnikov and Anatoliy Gorbunov—were sentenced to 6 years in colony, Vitaliy Sukhov—by 6 years of suspended sentence, Anton Ostapenko—6 years and 3 months suspended sentence.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_b61ea0ab82006ede.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_1617e51a2238ac3e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_7e098f4b55342dc2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_2b60f159aa80b7d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/211520.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","leisure-disruption"],"title":"An Element of Crime Is Absent — a Norilsk Court Returned to the Prosecutor the Case Against Believers Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelyov","type":"news"},{"body":"In Khabarovsk, court hearings are being held in the case of Polevodov and others . A friendly party at a local café on November 10, 2018 was the reason to accuse six believers of extremism at once. In the dock are: Nikolai Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and 70-year-old Maya Karpushkina.\nFrom the testimonies of witnesses questioned in court, it is clear that the meeting in the café was not religious in nature and had nothing to do with extremism. The appearance of dozens of riot policemen shortly after the start of the meeting shocked both the café staff and the believers present.\nIt is noteworthy that two criminal cases were initiated against Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim at once. Believers are forced to defend themselves in two courts, the sessions of which are sometimes scheduled for the same day. More recently, harsh sentences have been handed down in similar cases, each of which also has 6 accused. This is the case of Alushkin and others in Penza and the case Bazhenova and others in Saratov, on which an appeal decision of the court is expected on December 20, 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-18T14:11:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_25602e7b4cd8fa80.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_58ec651c25068bb1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_fdda4697d4aa447e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_3e0a8442a78d7191.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1479.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","leisure-disruption"],"title":"The Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk hears the case of 6 believers","type":"news"},{"body":"In Khabarovsk, the Investigative Committee and the FSB did not share the dubious laurels of victory over believers. Now Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov are tried simultaneously for the same religious actions in the Industrial and Railway courts of the city - under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nNovember 10, 2019 marks exactly one year since more than 50 residents of Khabarovsk gathered in a rented café for a friendly party. This meeting was not a religious gathering: people planned to socialize together, enjoy treats and entertainment. Shortly after the start of the meeting, several dozen riot policemen burst into the café. Investigators of the Investigative Committee stood behind them.\nThese events marked the beginning of the criminal prosecution of six believers - Nikolai Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, spouses Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and 70-year-old Maya Karpushkina were under investigation. Three men were put in a pre-trial detention center, and later sent under house arrest, one is now under recognizance not to leave. The women were given a written undertaking not to leave the place. All six are charged with various parts of the \"extremist\" Article 282 of the Criminal Code of Russia. Investigators consider extremism not to be real criminal offenses, but faith in Jehovah God and meetings with fellow believers, including friendly parties.\nSix months later, the Khabarovsk FSB, for its part, also opened a criminal case for faith - against 49-year-old Nikolai Polevodov and 51-year-old Stanislav Kim. Due to the callous attitude of the authorities, believers and their families are now forced to suffer doubly unjustly.\n\"Ends with ends.\" Stanislav Kim, 51, is a former forensic expert who worked for many years in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and drug control. During this time, he received awards and commendations. Previously, Stanislav watched from the inside how the law enforcement system works, but now he has become its victim.\nStanislav has two children, one of whom, a son, has been disabled since childhood. Now, because of the criminal prosecution, his health has deteriorated. \"Chronic diseases have worsened. The chosen measure of restraint and prohibitions do not allow him to purchase basic necessities. Since his wife does not work, they have to make ends meet. All this has a very strong effect on Stanislav's psycho-emotional state,\" said lawyer Artur Ganin, who assists Stanislav Kim.\nThe life of 49-year-old electrician Nikolai Polevodov has also changed dramatically, although he is still free (he spent 66 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Khabarovsk Territory, 201 days under house arrest). \"Nikolay is seriously worried about his little son, wife, because he does not know what the verdict will be. Will he be able to provide for his family, be a support and support for his wife, raise his son and participate in his life? At the moment, he is not able to fully work and earn a living, \"said family friends.\n\"Formalism is higher than values.\" The uniqueness of the situation of Stanislav Kim and Nikolai Polevodov is that they are accused in two criminal cases at once. The first was initiated on the basis of a charge of organizing the activities of a banned extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the second on the basis of a charge of participation in it (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Investigators do not merge cases into a single proceeding, as is usually the case. This means that law-abiding Russians face two criminal penalties, but now they are forced to go to two trials at once in different district courts of Khabarovsk - Industrial and Railway. Initially, the two criminal cases were investigated by different investigative bodies - the Investigative Committee and the FSB. The latter saw grounds for combining the criminal case and for this purpose handed over the documents to the prosecutor of Khabarovsk, but the prosecutor's office sent the case to the TFR \"as is\".\n\"The main reason for such decisions is the reluctance of the courts and the prosecutor's office to delve into the essence of the case. Unfortunately, for the judicial system, formalism is higher than the values and principles of the criminal procedure law,\" Artur Ganin believes.\nAccording to Ganin, it is very difficult for believers to defend themselves, especially Polevodov, who does not have a law degree.\n\"This is a violation of the defendant's right to defense. Since he is not a lawyer, it is difficult for him to prepare for several trials at the same time. Of course, the situation itself is an element of pressure. First, the defendants see the formalism inherent in the judicial system. Secondly, if the court does not want to understand the obvious things and stand up for their rights, the big question arises as to how fair it will be at all,\" says Artur Ganin.\nHouse arrest with \"bugs\". Stanislav Kim is currently under house arrest. This measure of restraint is considered to be mild, however, as explained by believers who have been or are under this judicial restriction, it causes a lot of inconvenience, mainly because of the atmosphere of fear created by the efforts of law enforcement agencies.\nMany families fear that they have \"wiretaps\" at home - devices for hidden audio or video surveillance. Such fears are not unfounded. Surveillance and secret \"wiretapping\" of believers repeatedly preceded the arrests. There were cases when the tenants of the apartments themselves discovered listening devices.\n\"Sometimes the investigators themselves are intimidated by stories about wiretapping. In some cases, they demonstrate that they know everything about the family, sometimes they retell some phrases, reproduce dialogues. That is, it is clear that a camera and wiretapping were installed in the bedroom, \"says Artur Ganin.\nAccording to the lawyer, the hidden equipment is installed with the aim of \"exposing\" prayers and reading the Bible, which, according to law enforcement officers, is extremist activity, which means that the court may choose a stricter measure of restraint.\n\"People understand that the observance of the right to privacy, family secrets, inviolability of the home in relation to them has been erased,\" Ganin summed up.\nThe case of six Khabarovsk residents is another fact of the persecution of religious minorities in Russia. A variety of organizations have repeatedly expressed their concern about what is happening, and Russian President V. Putin called for \"carefully understanding\" what is happening. In September , the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe \"urged the authorities to urgently take all necessary measures to ensure the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice their religion without hindrance.\"\nHearings in the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk are scheduled for November 5 and 13, 2019, hearings in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk are scheduled for November 14, 18, 26 and December 5, 2019.\nUpdate. The Industrial Court postponed the hearing from November 13 to December 5, 2019. As a result, on December 5, believers defend themselves at 9:30 a.m. in the Industrial Court, and at 2:00 p.m. in the Zheleznodorozhny Court of Khabarovsk.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-07T16:39:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_a331f925f602e7bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_f2a73515a694a317.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_5946423859055414.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_cba1c0c028317bfd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1329.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","282.2-2","review","leisure-disruption","minors"],"title":"Khabarovsk pliers: an electrician and a former criminologist are tried for faith in two courts at once ","type":"news"},{"body":"On Sunday morning, October 20, 2019, two SOBR groups surrounded a camp site in Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where believers were at that time. Masked commandos broke into the building and demanded that everyone who was there hand over their phones and tablets. The homes of some believers were searched.\nMore than 50 people suffered from the actions of law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers put a number of those present in minivans, including those with the Norilsk Nickel logo, and took them away for interrogation and searches in their apartments.\nThe interrogations were conducted in the building of the Investigative Committee at 7 Zavenyagin Street in Norilsk. The questions were asked by investigators who introduced themselves as Alexander Slimkin and Alexander Garber. Their questionnaire consisted of 25 items. The investigators were interested in whether their fellow countrymen professed a \"forbidden\" faith.\nAt least 5 searches are known, which lasted an average of 5 hours. Bibles, computers, tablets and phones were seized from believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-21T19:09:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0_hu_2599831b72c1bf39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0_hu_d5efdd019a6e82c7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0_hu_fe7618ee5c38e8fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1269.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","leisure-disruption"],"title":"In Norilsk, more than 50 believers were blocked by special forces at a tourist base. Searches and interrogations took place","type":"news"},{"body":"Two groups of SOBR surround the camp site, where the believers are at this time. Masked commandos break into the building and demand to hand over their phones and tablets. More than 50 people suffer from the actions of law enforcement officers. A number of those present were taken away for interrogation. At least 5 searches took place, which lasted an average of 5 hours.\nInvestigator of the Investigation Department for Norilsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V.E. Vazhenin initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nIn relation to Alexander Polozov, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2019-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20191020","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","leisure-disruption"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 12, 2018, the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk sent to jail 46-year-old Vitaly Zhuk, 48-year-old Nikolai Polevodov and 50-year-old Stanislav Kim, suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The arrests were preceded by an operation with the participation of riot police to capture citizens who had gathered in a café for a friendly non-religious meeting.\nOn November 10, 2018, a friendly meeting was held in a rented café in Khabarovsk, which was attended by about 55 people. The purpose of the meeting was to treat and entertain, it was not religious in nature. Half an hour after the start, at least 30 riot policemen led by FSB investigators suddenly invaded the building, breaking down the doors. The fighters dispersed around the perimeter of the room, ordered everyone to stay in their seats and forbade touching phones and tablets. After that, everyone who was in the café was interrogated (including minors), fingerprinted and photographed, and many had their tablets and phones seized. All this lasted 5 hours. Several men and a woman of retirement age were detained and taken away for searches. On November 12, 2018, Svetlana Telina, judge of the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk, decided to arrest Vitaliy Zhuk for 2 months. Following him, Stanislav Kim and Nikolai Polevodov were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case under 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated on November 10, 2018 by the Investigative Directorate for the city of Khabarovsk of the Investigative Committee of the Khabarovsk Territory. Vitaliy Zhuk, Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov are prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"organization of activities of an extremist community\"), and two women, one of them of retirement age, are prosecuted under Part 2 (\"participation in the activities of an extremist community\"). The proceedings in the case were entrusted to a group of 8 investigators, the investigator for especially important cases D. Shlenchak was appointed its head.\nEarlier, on August 2, 2018, the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory conducted searches in at least 4 houses of Khabarovsk residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 51-year-old Valery Moskalenko was sent to pre-trial detention center-1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-13T16:53:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/514.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["leisure-disruption","sizo","interrogation","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the disruption of a friendly meeting, searches and new arrests for faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On Saturday, August 26, 2017, 18 citizens who were resting with children on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of the city of Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory) were blocked by a detachment of armed police officers who arrived by bus and 5 cars. Police Lieutenant Colonel Ostrikov, who led the operation, stated that \"an anonymous call was received that Jehovah's Witnesses had gathered on the river, and they were banned.\" Under the threat of force, citizens were forced to enter a police bus and taken to the police station.\nMore than half of the detainees were children, the elderly and the disabled. For 3 hours, the police interrogated them, asking questions about their attitude to religion, and the children were interrogated despite the disagreement of their parents, without explaining their rights and obligations. The children were frightened and crying. Everyone, without exception, experienced severe stress. Some citizens noted in the interrogation record that they had experienced degrading treatment at the hands of the police. In particular, it was expressed in the fact that citizens were loaded into a dirty bus inside, they were not allowed to use the phone, they were escorted to the toilet, and they made sarcastic remarks during interrogation.\nIt is noteworthy that for several days before this event, the police went around the houses of these citizens, trying to establish their place of work, occupation, etc. Despite the absence of any signs of illegal actions, the police did not apologize to the citizens for the disrupted rest.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-08-30T12:01:33+03:00","duration":"1:21","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_ea88a788615be849.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_539aa76cf7505047.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_e87d506f72cd3d0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/210.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","disability","minors","interrogation","leisure-disruption"],"title":"In the Stavropol region, a police raid on citizens during a picnic","type":"video"}]