[{"body":"It has become known that the Yelizarovs have been returned to pretrial detention center No. 1 of Ulyanovsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Others in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260621","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court imposes preventive measures on the believers: Sergey Volkov is placed in a pretrial detention center, while Tatyana Volkova and Natalya Krasnobayeva are placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Volkov and Others Case in Shchyolkovo","date":"2026-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shchelkovo/index.html#20260619","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 18, 2026, investigators, accompanied by law enforcement officers, carried out searches of the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses at two addresses in Shchyolkovo, Moscow Region. Three believers — Sergey and Tatyana Volkov, as well as Natalya Krasnobayeva — are under arrest.\nBoth searches began early in the morning. Five armed officers in masks and another eight in civilian clothing came to the home of 50-year-old Natalya Krasnobayeva. At the time, the believer was at work; her daughter with her small child were at home. Hearing the doorbell, she looked through the peephole, but law enforcement officers pointed a laser beam at it. Then the fighters broke down the door and entered, pointing their weapons at her and her child. On seeing the armed men, the boy screamed in panic, \u0026quot;Don't!\u0026quot; and started vomiting. Bibles, a hard drive, a flash drive, a laptop, and a cell phone were seized from the apartment. When Natalya returned home later that evening, she was detained.\nA group of about five law enforcement officers conducted a search at the home of the Volkov family — Sergey and Tatyana, both 48, their daughter and underage son. The law enforcement officers immediately pointed their weapons at those in the apartment and demanded that they lie on the floor with their hands behind their heads. The search of the apartment and two cars lasted about 2 hours; they did not explain what they were looking for. Law enforcement officers did not allow the family to eat, drink, or use the bathroom and threatened them with pretrial detention. After the search, the entire family was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. The children were released around midnight.\nOn June 19, 2026, the court imposed preventive measures on the detained believers: Sergey Volkov was placed in a pretrial detention center; his wife, Tatyana Volkova, and Natalya Krasnobayeva were placed under house arrest.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/241550.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","house-arrest","minors","families"],"title":"Searches and Detentions in Shchyolkovo: Three Believers Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"Repeated attempts to deliver Bibles to Ruslan and Roza — both through parcel deliveries and by mail — were unsuccessful. At the same time, the administration of the detention facility informed the relatives of the Tazyrovs that enough Bibles were available in the institution. However, their distribution is regulated by a special procedure: it is necessary to file an application to meet with a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, after which a decision is made regarding the provision of Bibles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260610","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer had a visit from his wife. According to her, he feels calm and is focused on preparing for his appeal.\nThere is no drinking water in the cell — Oleg boils tap water and drinks it cooled. His Bible has not been returned yet — it is still being inspected. Relations in the cell are peaceful; the administration staff act within their authority.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260609","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Elizarova is held in a solitary cell on a cold, semi-basement floor. There is hot water, a television, and a refrigerator. The believer is regularly taken for walks.\nDuring her time in pretrial detention, Irina has received a total of 220 letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Others in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260609","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexandr and Irina Elizarov are being transferred from pretrial detention center No. 1 in Ulyanovsk to pretrial detention center No. 3 in Inza.\nDuring the month in this pretrial detention center, Alexandr received about 10 letters — significantly fewer than in the previous facility.\nAlexandr and Irina see each other at preventive measure court hearings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Others in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260608","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Kuzin is transferred to another cell, where there are three more prisoners with him. There are a lot of cockroaches in the room, so at night the prisoners leave the lights on. Due to sleep disturbances, the believer developed an arrhythmia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260531","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr's cellmates smoke, which makes him feel worse. His requests to be transferred to a non-smoking cell remain unanswered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20260530","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After quarantine, Oleg was transferred to a four-person cell. It is not damp or cold, and there is more light than in the previous one. The believer remains positive and tries to adapt to the new conditions.\nIn the first 2 weeks, Oleg received 79 letters; most of them were from people he does not know personally. His cellmates are very surprised by this. They treat him with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260525","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Odintsov is held in a three-bed cell with two prisoners. The administration and cellmates treat him with respect. The believer maintains physical shape - every day he does push-ups and goes for a walk. He has the New Testament and the Psalms. Letters from different countries also provide support for the convict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20260525","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of the pretrial detention center treats Sergey Naumenko with respect. The staff member who delivers parcels said: \"It is clear that your family loves you very much.\"\nThe believer gets along well with his cellmates — he encourages them to read and do sports. His example motivated one of his cellmates to quit smoking.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2026-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20260523","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Anufrieva is kept in a cell for six people - all women, including her, work in the household detachment. At work, she moves a lot, so her physical condition has improved and her lower back has stopped hurting. The cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center treat the believer kindly. She regularly receives parcels, she has everything she needs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260520","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 20, 2026, searches and interrogations took place in Kemerovo, affecting 17 believers. Kirill Tarasov, 27, was detained and sent to a pretrial detention center. Law enforcement officers forced their way into his apartment by smashing a window with a hammer.\nA criminal case against Tarasov was initiated on May 14. Ye. V. Yakovtseva, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Tsentralnyy District of Kemerovo, suspects him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2 (1) of the RF CrC).\nAt about 6:15 a.m., Kirill's wife, Anastasiya, woke up to the sound of breaking glass. Kirill was in the bathroom at the time. When he came out, the officers ordered him to lie on the floor. The believer cut himself on the shards; they immediately helped him up and bandaged the wound. Otherwise, the search proceeded calmly, and the officers behaved politely.\nThat same day, officers also went to Kirill's mother, Galina Tarasova. The stress caused her blood pressure to spike. Galina and Anastasiya were interrogated at the Investigative Committee. The latter is a witness in the case against her husband, so she was not allowed to attend the hearing regarding a preventive measure against him.\nThe homes of women aged 79, 78, and 74 were also searched. One of them had her blood pressure rise to 200/107 due to the stress, yet she was still taken for questioning, like the others, but she was allowed to measure her blood pressure and take her medication.\nAmong those affected were families with minor children. In one instance, law enforcement officers took the phone and computer of a girl who is homeschooled. Elsewhere, the officers' actions frightened a child. According to the parents, throughout the search the boy was afraid to get out of bed and hid under a blanket. He has a heart condition and frequent headaches.\nThe home of the Bondarchuks was also searched and they were interrogated. Aleksandr has previously been convicted for his faith.\nDuring the searches, officers seized electronic devices, various translations of the Bible, personal notes, greeting cards, and photographs.\nAnother 20 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Kemerovo Region are already facing criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/271336.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"One Believer Placed in Pretrial Detention Center","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","elderly","minors"],"title":"Mass Searches in Kemerovo.","type":"news"},{"body":"Stepan Pankratov is in detention center No. 1 in Voronezh. The cell in which he is kept is designed for 12 people. The believer's relations with his cellmates and the administration are fine. He has a Bible. Stepan is given letters, but in small quantities. Recently he had a visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260510","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Artyomov has been placed in quarantine in pretrial detention center No. 1 for Chelyabinsk. He is held in a two-person cell. He has established a friendly relationship with his cellmate. He does not yet have a Bible — it was taken for inspection.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260507","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Makhnev receives letters with a delay. Only the Zonatelecom system is available in the pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260430","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Pushkov is being held in a cell for three people. During the past year, he has been moved three times. There is only cold; it is warm in the premises. Once a week he can take a shower and the bed linen is changed.\nThe attitude toward Vladimir on the part of the prisoners and the administration of the detention center is respectful. The believer receives letters on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.\nHe remains optimistic, but worries about his wife. Over the past year, they have only met periodically at court hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20260422","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the last two weeks, Vitaliy has been taken for walks once every 2 days. The heating is turned off; the cell is damp and cold. As a result the believer caught a cold.\nLetters of support are now given to him more often — he receives several a week. Vitaliy is enjoying visits from his wife twice a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260421","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bakhtiyor Raupov is being held in a cell designed for three people. There is no hot water in it. The food is satisfactory. The believer does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Karpov and Others in Chita","date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita3/index.html#20260415","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Karpov needs medical attention. He has several diseases, including diabetes, so he needs constant blood sugar checks. Aleksey spent ten days in a hospital cell in a pre-trial detention center.\nIn the cell where the believer is kept, there is only cold water. He does not have a Bible. Letters from relatives and friends come.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Karpov and Others in Chita","date":"2026-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita3/index.html#20260411","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Fedorov is held in a block for those accused of grave crimes and violators of institution rules. His relations with other prisoners are respectful.\nSergey is given only food from his parcels, the rest of the things are sent to the warehouse, from where it is difficult to get them. He receives letters sent through the Zonatelecom system.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260408","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Unlawful deprivation of liberty, criminal prosecution for peaceful practice of religion, and discriminatory persecution on religious grounds — these violations were documented by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding 26 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The relevant opinion was adopted by the body on March 30, 2026.\nThe full text of the opinion in English is available on the official website. A Russian translation is also available. The case covers events from 2018 to 2025 and concerns 19 men and 7 women from Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod Region), Birobidzhan, Konakovo (Tver Region), Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo Region), Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory), Kostroma, Moscow, Astrakhan, Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory), and Yaroslavskiy (Primorye Territory). Most are still held in pretrial detention; others are already serving prison terms in penal colonies. Only one of the applicants is currently not behind bars — Oleg Postnikov. His criminal case has been sent for retrial.\n\u0026quot; The Working Group is particularly concerned that 17 of the detainees have reportedly been held in some form of ongoing pretrial detention for several years since 2019. This exacerbates the severity of their unfounded pretrial detention,\u0026quot; the opinion states (§ 129). Among those whose detention has lasted for years are 68-year-old Aleksandr Ivshin (more than 5 years), 60-year-old Anna Safronova (over 4 years), and 57-year-old Andrey Vlasov (about 4 years).\nThe Working Group determined that the criminal prosecution of the applicants was a direct result of the believers exercising their freedom of religion, expression, and peaceful assembly. \u0026quot; The searches, arrests, charges and detention were all aimed at multiple members of this religion, often based on them meeting to worship. No substantiated counterargument has been provided [...]. Recent cases indicate a pattern of discriminatory arrests and detentions of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; the opinion states (§§ 143, 144).\nThe experts demanded that Russia immediately release all 26 applicants, grant them the right to compensation, conduct a full and independent investigation, and take measures against those responsible for the unlawful detentions. At the same time, the group pointed to the need to bring the country\u0026#39;s legislation and law enforcement practice in line with its international obligations.\nThis is already the fourth instance in which the UN Working Group condemns the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. Although opinions of the UN Working Group are not decisions of an international court, the Russian authorities are not entitled to ignore them. The RF Constitutional Court, in its Ruling of June 9, 2015 No. 1276-O, noted that the Russian Federation is required to give due consideration to such findings and to review the issue of restoring violated rights, up to revising court decisions that resulted in the established violation. How the authorities will respond to the new opinion of the Working Group remains to be seen. Russia has 6 months to provide information about the measures taken.\n","category":"rights","date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/07/070850/image_hu_5b07e79946eef0fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/07/070850/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/07/070850/image_hu_ba1022958e431c8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/07/070850/image_hu_4ba8c7a949044f56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/07/070850.html","regions":["novosibirsk","tomsk","nizhegorod","jewish","tver","kemerovo","altaisky","kostroma","moscow","astrakhan","krasnodar","primorye","switzerland"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["un-working-group","liberty-deprivation","sizo","international"],"title":"UN Working Group Condemns \"Pattern of Discriminatory Detention of Jehovah's Witnesses\" and Demands Their Immediate Release","type":"news"},{"body":"Following an illness, Anatoliy Yagupov's chronic health issues worsened. He receives permission for a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260328","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Konkov, Anatoly Chepkasov, Sergey Verhoturov and Maxim Kalinin are in quarantine in pre-trial detention center-1 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Sergey is in a cell with three prisoners, the rest of the believers have two cellmates. All have hot water and a bed.\nThe believers' cellmates smoke a lot right in the cells. Yevgeniy is worried about his health - he has breathing problems. Shortly before his imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center, the believer took tests and planned to visit a pulmonologist.\nLetters began to arrive to the men on the second day of their imprisonment. No one has a Bible yet. The attitude from the administration and cellmates is good.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod12/index.html#20260323","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to quarantine, Dmitriy is in the cell alone. Since it is cool there, he dresses warmly and sleeps in his clothes. A man does physical exercises and writes poetry. The believer has a Bible, letters are given to him. Recently, he had a date with his wife and mother.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260322","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman is kept alone in a two-person cell, where round-the-clock video surveillance is conducted. Upon arrival, his Bible was confiscated for inspection. He receives letters and dates.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260321","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A raid targeting Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Chita and several other locations in the Trans‑Baikal Territory took place on March 19, 2026. At least 10 people were made defendants in a new criminal case.\nThe investigation is being conducted by senior investigator S. Urbazayev of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of the Russian Federation for the Trans‑Baikal Territory. Five people are suspected of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC), and another five are suspected of participating in it (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nAccording to available information, one believer — Anatoliy Pozdnyakov, 67, — has been placed under house arrest, while three others — Vitaliy Astakhov, Svetlana Arefyeva, and Olga Beznosenko — under a recognizance agreement.\nUpdate. On March 21, the court placed two more believers, Aleksey Karpov and Bakhtier Raupov, in pretrial detention. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Chita have been subjected to criminal prosecution for 6 years already. The first raid took place in February 2020 and resulted in prison terms for three people.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/201611.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"Large‑Scale Raid in Trans‑Baikal Territory — At Least 30 People Affected","type":"news"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Sokolov and Mikhail Veselov are being held in cells with 10-11 other prisoners. The premises are warm, there is a refrigerator and hot water. Believers can read the Bible and get visits with their wives. Relatives give Mikhail the necessary medicines.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260317","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 17, 2026, searches were conducted in Nizhny Novgorod and the surrounding area at 10 homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In total 16 people from 5 families were affected. Among them were Sergey and Viktoriya Verkhoturov, who had served sentences for their faith several years earlier.\nOn the day of the searches, the court ordered four men — Sergey Verkhoturov, Maksim Kalinin, Anatoliy Chepkasov, and Yevgeniy Konkov — to be placed in a pretrial detention center.\nThe raid was carried out as part of a new criminal case for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, which the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated on March 5, 2026, against unidentified persons. The searches were initiated by Investigator A. E. Stifeyev.\nThe Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region has initiated 12 out of 13 criminal cases against 26 believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/191523.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","families","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Searches at Homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nizhny Novgorod: Four Believers in Pretrial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"Mikhail is in a good emotional state; He is mentally preparing for a possible real term and transfer to a colony. The believer draws support from letters from caring people — he has already received about 700 of them.\nAfter three months of solitary confinement, Mikhail had a neighbor, which he was happy about. The cell is designed for three, it is warm, there is hot water.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260315","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic releases Albert Pilshchikov from the pre-trial detention center and places him under house arrest. He is required to wear an electronic tracking bracelet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260313","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest","ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kononov regularly receives parcels and letters. He has the Bible in the Synodal translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20260311","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Galka is in a ten-bed cell, where eleven people are kept (for some time there were twelve). The room is cramped, many prisoners smoke and make noise, including at night. Due to the lack of light, Yuriy's eyesight deteriorates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260311","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pilshchikov does not have a Bible, but he is supported by letters that come from caring people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260310","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosa's relationship with her cellmates is friendly. The believer tries to maintain physical shape: she does exercises every day, does not miss the opportunity to go for walks. She has begun to receive parcels, but there is no Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260310","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Antyukhin is being held with eleven other prisoners. The administration refused the lawyer's petition to transfer the believer to a non-smoking cell, referring to the fact that the premises meet sanitary standards. Because of tobacco smoke, Antyukhin has a severe cough.\nAleksey worries that he cannot be with his wife and take care of her material and emotional needs. Recently, the couple had a date.\nDespite the difficulties, Aleksey does not lose heart, largely thanks to reading the Bible. Letters are handed over to the believer, but with a long delay, and sometimes he receives only a form for an answer to the sender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260310","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan is being held in solitary confinement. He is taken for walks and generally feels satisfactory, but worries about his wife and elderly mother. The believer does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260309","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The solitary confinement cell where Oleg Zhukov is kept has a refrigerator, a kettle and hot water. In the library of the pre-trial detention center, he was given Gospels. He receives letters and parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260308","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Nerush is kept in a warm four-bed cell. His neighbors smoke. In the last two weeks, the believer has not been taken for walks. To feel better, Vitaliy does physical exercises. Prisoners can take a shower once a week.\nVitaliy has a good relationship with his cellmates. He reads the Bible and receives letters, but they are given out about once every two weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260308","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Moskovsky District Court of Cheboksary Sergey Kuryshev chooses a restriction measure against Pilshchikov in the form of detention. The investigation considers meeting friends to read the Bible and discuss Bible teachings \"criminal activity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260307","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the pre-trial detention center in Simferopol, Vitaliy Burik was quarantined. The composition of the 7-person inmates in the cell is constantly changing. The 54-year-old believer jokes: \"Crime has become younger — young cellmates call me by the first name.\"\nVitaliy describes living conditions as normal. He has a Bible. A date with his wife has already taken place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20260307","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Sharov is in a single cell. Sometimes he has changes in blood pressure, he is given medications, as well. They pass parcels and letters. The man does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260307","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 7, 2026, the Moskovskiy District Court of Cheboksary sent Albert Pilshchikov, 45, to a pretrial detention center. A day earlier, he was detained in Naberezhnye Chelny on the grounds of a criminal case.\nIn 2020, Albert, who lived in Cheboksary at the time, was among the believers whose homes were searched by law enforcement officers.\nOver the past 9 years, criminal cases have been initiated against 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Chuvashia. These believers are mostly elderly people. One of the defendants received a 5-year suspended sentence — he will be 90 by the time he has served it.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/101532.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"His Home Was Searched 6 Years Ago","tags":["new-case","search","sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Arrested in Chuvashia.","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey Gorokhov is kept alone in a two-person cell, which has a refrigerator, kettle, hot water. He receives letters and parcels, can buy food. The believer does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260305","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Alanya is undergoing an court of appeal on the restriction measure.\nThe court recognizes the decision of the district court to extend the detention as illegal, since it did not take into account the requirements of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and did not examine part of the procedural documents. The appeal sends the issue of the believer's detention for reconsideration.\nThere is a support group of 25 people in the courtroom, another 20 people are waiting outside.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260304","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor Ursu is supported by reading the Bible in the Synodal translation, which he was given to replace the one he had withdrawn. He also receives letters regularly; He especially likes shipments with photographs - thanks to them, he can \"travel\" to different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20260303","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap learns that her stepfather died in the hospital the day before. Against the backdrop of these tragic events, the court has repeatedly rejected petitions for the release of the couple from custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260303","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Court on the appeal against the preventive measure, Ivan Starikov was released from the pretrial detention center. He is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20260303","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the last transfer of the defendants in the case from the court back to the detention center, one of the guards asked why they were so smartly dressed. To which the other replied: \"Because they did not commit a crime, they just believe.\"\nOn the same day, another woman was transported with them. Observing the calm behavior and respectful attitude among the believers, she said to Anastasiya Anufriyeva at the end of the journey: \"You are not like the others. I feel refreshed being with you.\"\nAnastasiya returned to her cell after the court session only at 2 a.m. Her blood pressure rose. The believer is being held with seven other women.\nVladimir Anufriyev is being held in a large transit cell with another prisoner. To create \"coziness\", they ordered large towels with images of fish swimming in the sea and hung them on the wall. Vladimir humorously calls his sleeping place an \"oceanarium\". He tries to stay fit: he regularly does pull-ups and push-ups and jogs. Furthermore, Vladimir writes stories, poems and songs.\nDuring 1.5 years in the detention center, Andrey Mikholap has already changed cells 30 times. He complains of knee pain when bending his leg, and the medications prescribed by the doctors of the medical unit do not help.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260301","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the verdict was announced, Andrey Lukin received 50 letters of support. He is still in the pretrial detention center in Sergiyev Posad. Recently, he was transferred to a different cell, where two other prisoners are being held. According to Andrey, the conditions there are a little better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2026-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20260228","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept alone in a cell. He does not have all the necessary medication that he was taking daily, which affects his general well-being.\nPetrov has already received one parcel and several letters. He does not have a Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260226","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov feels fine. He goes for a walk every other day and receives letters. The TV in the cell is constantly on, so it is difficult to reply to correspondence. The believer has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20260225","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap is very worried about her parents, who are in the hospital with burns. The cellmates try to support Oksana as much as they can.\nOksana also feels a friendly attitude from the administration. According to the employee who distributes food, in this section of the pre-trial detention center, his mood rises only in two cells - where Oksana Mikholap and Anastasia Anufrieva are sitting. He adds: \"I wish Alyona [Chernobaeva] was also in this department!\" Another employee humorously speaks of Jehovah's Witnesses held in the pre-trial detention center: \"This is my favorite gang!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260225","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Shevchuk is being held alone in a cell. Now he has the New Testament. About twice a month he gets visits from his wife and almost every weekend he can call his relatives. In the pretrial detention center, the believer began to write poems. He also tries to respond to all incoming correspondence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260218","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Sergey Petrov to a pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260213","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Ufa imposes a ban of certain actions as a preventive measure on Bastaev, Gubeev, Gareeva and Dzhavadova.\nThe court sends the Tazyrovs to pretrial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260213","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of January, Sabina had a visit from her husband, and her sister also visited. Prisoners are taken out for walks every day. The believer buys food in the store of the detention center and also receives parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260211","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 11, 2026, searches were carried out at nine addresses in Ufa. Law enforcement officers detained and interrogated 17 people, 2 of whom remain in custody.\nImmediately after the raid, five individuals were taken to a temporary detention facility. Two days later, the court imposed a ban on certain actions on Andrey Gubeev, Sergey Bastaev and Mariya Gareeva, while sending the couple Ruslan and Roza Tazyrov to a pretrial detention center.\nThe searches were initiated by Major of Justice V. Kharrasov, investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Bashkortostan. Earlier, on February 3, 2026, he had initiated a criminal case under Article 282.2(1) and (2) of the RF CrC.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/171410.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","prohibition-of-actions","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Series of Raids on Jehovah's Witnesses in Ufa: Married Couple Sent to Pretrial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Sergey Maksimov of the Leninskiy District Court of Ulyanovsk issues a court order on selecting a preventive measure for Igor Balashov and Igor Popov — house arrest. Aleksandr and Irina Elizarov are sent to the pretrial detention center by the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Others in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260205","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","liberty-deprivation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On Monday, February 3, 2026, law enforcement officers detained Uyar residents Sergey Soroka, Ivan Starikov, and Aleksandr Murlin. They were placed in a pretrial detention center 2 days later. On Thursday, two more believers — Aleksandr and Zakhar Vakarev, father and son — were detained at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. The FSB had declared them wanted the day before.\nCases involving Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Uyar are being handled by Aleksandra Tkachenko, an investigator with the local branch of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. A few months earlier, she had authorized the arrests of two other Uyar residents — Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/121442.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","families"],"title":"Five More Jehovah’s Witnesses from Uyar Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"For the first time in over a year of her stay in the pretrial detention center, Darya is granted a long-awaited visit from her mother.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260125","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Paysov maintains his sense of humor and tries to support those around him. The believer does not have a Bible yet. His main concern is the well-being of his sick, elderly mother, who is completely dependent on her son's care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20260124","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov is being held in a cell along with two other prisoners. He regularly receives parcels. He has a Bible in the Synodal translation from the institution's library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260123","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Paisov is in a cell for 6 people. He exercises every day. After the national holidays, the believer was given 50 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20260122","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sabina Albegova has a Bible in Russian and Ossetian. She receives many letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260120","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the pretrial detention center, where Sergey Naumenko is kept, it is warm, the food is fine, it is possible to go for walks and visit the banya. He has a Bible. He also receives letters from family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2026-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20260119","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are five other people in the cell with the believer. Prisoners are regularly taken out for walks. Velikov has normal relations with his cellmates and the administration.\nViktor receives letters of support — to date, they have already come from 270 cities. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20260108","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap shares a cell with another prisoner. Previously, this woman was kept in the same cell with Anastasia Anufrieva, and then with Alyona Chernobaeva. According to her, only with them she feels calmer in prison.\nAndrei Mikholap is still in a double cell with another prisoner. It is spacious, warm, and has hot water.\nLetters in electronic form are received by the couple regularly, and in paper form they began to come only recently, after the censor returned from vacation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-01-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260106","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers are kept in 7- or 10-bed cells; the premises are dry and warm. Relations with other cellmates and detention center staff are fine. Letters come through, but not in full. There is a long waiting list for relatives to visit the pretrial detention center.\nYuriy Galka needs regular medical support due to spikes in his blood pressure. Anatoliy Yagupov needs constant therapy due to psoriatic arthritis coupled with gout; his knees are often inflamed, which causes him severe pain. His wife supplies the necessary medication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251224","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov are in SIZO No. 1 in Izhevsk. Valeriy is being held in a cell designed for four people, along with three convicts. Prisoners smoke, but out of respect for the elderly person, they do it near the window. Upon arrival, he was given a lower bunk. The Indian is also the oldest in the cell, and he is treated with respect. The premises are warm, there is hot water. Believers try to go for walks.\nValeriy suffers from diabetes. He takes the necessary medications and receives special nutrition. The Indian's eyesight deteriorates greatly, one eye almost does not see. He also has hearing problems. Both men can see a doctor, and an examination at the hospital is scheduled for early next year.\nBelievers are trying to get used to the new realities of life. Valeriy was especially pleased with 67 letters from different countries. He tries to answer everything. He especially liked letters about Lake Baikal, Kamchatka, historical places and interesting biographies of people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20251218","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Odintsovo City Court Mikhail Ponimatkin chooses detention as a restriction measure for Aleksandr Paisova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20251211","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator hands Darya Petrochenko the indictment. She receives less letters of support than previously. The believer is worried about her mother, whom she cannot see at the moment. Despite the difficulties, she finds comfort in reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20251210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 10, 2025, in Zvenigorod, Moscow Region, raids were carried out at at least four addresses. Several people were interogated. A criminal case was initiated against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness Aleksandr Paysov, who is now in pretrial detention.\nAt around 6 a.m., Investigative Committee officers, led by Sergey Zagibalov, broke into the home of Aleksandr Paysov and his mother. They seized personal notes and electronic devices. Aleksandr was detained, leaving his 86-year-old mother alone without any means of communication.\nThe next day, the court sent Aleksandr Paysov to detention center No. 2 in Volokolamsk. He works as a postal worker and is known as a responsible and peaceful person.\nAt another address, a search was conducted without the owners\u0026#39; knowledge: the lock was broken, evidence that people had been were visible, and a crowbar was left behind in the yard.\nIn the Moscow Region, law enforcement agencies have initiated criminal cases against at least nine Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, four of whom have received suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/121836.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":"Zvenigorod — Law Enforcement Officers Carry Out Raid Against Jehovah’s Witnesses","tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","sizo"],"title":"Searches in Moscow Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"Aflatun is in a cell with four prisoners, sleeping on the top bunk. The room has water, a refrigerator, a kettle and a TV. Every day there is an hour-long walk in the yard. Relations with neighbors are respectful, he is the eldest among them. A believer has a New Testament. Aflatun needs treatment.\nViktor Kononov is in quarantine. There are six people in the cell where he is being held. Although the room has not been renovated for a long time, it is warm and has cold and hot water. Victor can walk for an hour every day. His blood pressure periodically rises. In addition, due to previous tuberculosis and a severe form of covid, Viktor developed pulmonary fibrosis, and he needs constant medical supervision and treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20251208","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sabina shares the cell with two women and they have a good relationship. The cell is light and warm. For 5 days, the believer was not taken for walks. The yard is an area covered with slate, so the sky is not visible, and air enters only through the cracks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251208","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Naumenko is in the Tver pre-trial detention center No 1.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2025-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20251206","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin is transferred to the pretrial detention center for the city of Sergiyev Posad.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251203","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a medical examination at the Adygea Republic Hospital, Yuriy Sergeechev was advised to have heart stent surgery. Previously, Yuriy had suffered two heart attacks.\nThe believer is supported by letters — he has already received about 300 from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251126","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia receives permission from the judge to have weekly telephone conversations with her mother. The believer's letters come only in electronic form.\nVladimir Anufriev was given several paper letters for May-September. Sometimes it is not easy for him when there is bad news in the letters - about the difficulties or illnesses of loved ones. The believer admits: \"At these moments, a fervent long prayer to God helps me.\" In addition to existing health problems, Vladimir had an inflamed tendon on his elbow.\nIn the photo below is a postcard with warm words of support from 11-year-old Katya: \"We love you very much!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20251114","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev often experiences attacks of hypertension — his blood pressure rises above 200 at night. Medication helps only partially. The believer needs to undergo a medical examination, but so far he has not succeeded. There is still no heating in the cells, so prisoners are forced to wear warm clothes at all times. The court denies Yuriy visits from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251113","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sabina Albegova is being held in a cell with another woman. There are no insects or rats. Sabina goes for walks. She can take a shower twice a week. The staff in the pretrial detention center treat the believer politely and tactfully. Many are perplexed as to why she is in detention.\nSabina's husband took her a Bible, which she has not yet received. The believer has received several letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251105","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shurygin is still waiting to be transferred to the colony. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received a total of about 600 letters.\nThe believer tries to keep himself in good physical shape. Separation from his family is not easy for him. He is especially worried about the fact that he cannot participate in the upbringing of his daughters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20251031","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Neverov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mordovia. He shares a cell with three other prisoners, and relations with them are good. However, living conditions remain difficult: the room is not renovated, the mattress and pillow are in a worn-out condition. The administration of the pre-trial detention center ignores Ivan's numerous written statements about the replacement of bedding.\nAttachments are removed from the letters: a calendar, postcards with images of animals. Complaints against the censor's actions remain unanswered. Reading the Bible helps Ivan stay calm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20251031","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Uyar District Court chooses a restriction measure for 60-year-old Kononov and 62-year-old Safarov in the form of detention.\nInvestigator Tkachenko charges Viktor Kononov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20251025","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 23, 2025, a search was conducted at the home of a couple in the town of Abaza (Republic of Khakassia). Since their house had been damaged by fire earlier, they were temporarily staying with relatives. The search was carried out at their place as well.\nAccording to preliminary information, the investigative actions were conducted by the same agency that previously organized the searches in the villages of Mayna and Sizaya. Electronic devices, several copies of the Bible, and personal notes were seized from the family.\nUpdate. The investigative measures have affected five believers. Three of them are currently in pretrial detention, including Aflatun Safarov, 62, and Viktor Kononov, 60. In addition, two women aged 77 and 69 — Amaliya Malchugova and Tatyana Barakhtenko — have also been subjected to prosecution. They have been placed under a recognizance agreement.\nA criminal case against the believers has been initiated under three parts of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. The case is being handled by A. A. Tkachenko, an investigator of the Uyar Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/281458.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":"Recent Raid in Khakassia Affected Elderly Jehovah’s Witnesses","tags":["search","sizo","elderly","new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Five Suspects — Three in Pretrial Detention.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Sovetskiy District Court of Vladikavkaz imposes a preventive measure on Sabina Albegova — pretrial detention. A large number of people gather near the building. When the believer is taken out of court, those present support her by applauding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251022","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 21, 2025, Konstantin Khlybov, 34, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola, was detained. His home was searched. After several days in custody, the believer was placed under house arrest. The investigation charges him with organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn the morning that day, Konstantin took the child to kindergarten. Law enforcement officers approached him on the street and took him to search his home. They kept him in handcuffs along the way. The law enforcement officers, led by A. S. Kasharin, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Mari El, seized all electronic devices from the Khlybov family.\nAfter the interrogation, Konstantin was detained, and the following day the court sent him to a pretrial detention center. On October 31, the court of appeal mitigated the preventive measure for the believer to house arrest.\nIn the Republic of Mari El, 11 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith: 10 men were given heavy fines and 1 woman a suspended sentence.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/031405.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":"Father of Young Child Facing Criminal Prosecution","tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"Search in Yoshkar-Ola.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2025, Sabina Albegova, 26, a resident of Vladikavkaz, was arrested. The Investigative Committee charged her with extremism for participating in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Two days later, the court sent the believer to a pretrial detention center.\nA few hours before Sabina\u0026#39;s arrest, at 6 a.m., the house of her husband\u0026#39;s parents was searched. Electronic devices were seized from the owners and their guests. The task force was led by Mikhail Tuayev, investigator of the Investigative Committee.\nAfter her arrest, Sabina Albegova was informed that she was suspected of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC) and sent to a temporary detention facility in Vladikavkaz. By court decision she was placed in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania on October 22.\nAccording to available information, the criminal case against Sabina Albegova is related to another case that was initiated against one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vladikavkaz back in January 2025.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/280840.html","regions":["osetia"],"subtitle":"Court Detained Local Woman For Her Faith","tags":["sizo","search","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Search and Arrest in Vladikavkaz.","type":"news"},{"body":"Mikhail Shevchuk is in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of Mordovia. He his adapting to the new conditions. After quarantine, he was placed in a common cell, where three people are held with him. The situation is calm; his cellmates do not smoke. The attitude of the detention center staff toward him is fine.\nPrisoners are taken out for walks; visits and phone calls are also allowed. Shevchuk does not have a Bible, but he receives letters from family and friends. They help him remain positive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20251018","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal changes the preventive measure against Mikhail Proshenkov: he is released from the pretrial detention center and transferred to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20251009","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 10 days of quarantine, Viktor Ursu is placed in a double cell. The believer has normal relations with prisoners and pre-trial detention center staff.\nViktor is feeling well. Daily walks help him in this, during which he enjoys the fresh air and sun, admires the sky. The man is worried about his mother's health and regrets that he did not have time to hug her after the verdict was announced.\nThe Bible was seized from the believer for checking. He wrote an application to visit the library. Ursu is supported by letters. His cellmate, a military major, was surprised that Viktor began to receive letters the very next day after the verdict, on September 9, when the prisoner himself had not yet been taken to the pre-trial detention center.\nViktor had two short-term meetings with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20251001","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Pushkov and his wife Aysulu are having a hard time being separated from each other. Reading the Bible and walks help them to stay positive. Vladimir does exercises and keeps his cell clean. Aysulu does breathing exercises and takes medications prescribed by the doctor, as she suffers from osteoporosis. She has pain in her hip and her spine. She is also allergic to tobacco smoke.\nAnton Novopashin is trying to keep in good physical shape. He has a Bible; he receives letters and parcels.\nYevgeniy Abramov caught a cold — it is cold in the special unit.\nTatyana Dodolina reads a lot; replies to letters. She has started studying a foreign language.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250927","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo","families","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of appeal changes the preventive measure for Akelin, Ombysh and Kazakov to house arrest.\nProshenkov remains in pretrial detention until October 28. The appeal of the appointed lawyer against the preventive measure for the believer was received by the court on September 11, but it has not yet been considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250925","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Abakan City Court Ivan Stepankov sends Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev and Yevgeniy Bagin to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Khakassia. This was petitioned by the investigator of the Investigative Committee V. Kotenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20250924","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The homes of about 25 families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the villages of Mayna and Cheremushki (Khakassia) were searched, and at least 45 people were interrogated. Three believers — Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev and Yevgeniy Bagin — were taken into custody. Investigative measures initiated by the FSB of Russia have been carried out since September 23, 2025.\nUpdate. According to updated information, searches were carried out simultaneously in the village of Maina (Khakassia) and the village of Sizaya (Krasnoyarsk Territory), settlements located on the border of two regions on opposite sides of the Yenisei. Mayna and Cheremushki are urban settlements with a total population of about 12,000 people, located on the banks of the Yenisei, not far from the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. During the searches, which began at 6 a.m., phones and electronic devices were confiscated from believers. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were interrogated in Sayanogorsk — those from Mayna during the day, and those from Cheremushki close to midnight. Timoshchenko, Gorev and Bagin were taken 100 kilometers from home to Abakan, the capital of Khakassia. According to their relatives, they were charged with organizing religious meetings and sent to a pretrial detention center by a court ruling.\nThe total number of searches that have taken place since the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2017 has far exceeded 2000, but mass searches of such a scale are not carried out that often. Earlier large-scale raids (some of them were called \u0026quot;Armageddon\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;Judgment Day\u0026quot;) took place in the Jewish Autonomous Region, Crimea, Voronezh and Bryansk Regions and in the Altai Territory.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/291103.html","regions":["khakassia","krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Three Believers Sent to Pretrial Detention Center","tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches in Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"The investigator denies Yevgeniy Dodolin's mother calls and visits to her son. In the detention center, he undergoes medical examination and is given some medicines. Despite the difficulties, he remains friendly. There are five other people with him in the cell and they have a good relationship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250920","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan's health condition is not improving — he suffers from hypertension; he was examined and diagnosed with multiple internal conditions. This affects his emotional well-being: due to apathy, at times he finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. Samvel finds comfort in the examples of Bible characters who have faced similar problems.\nIn this detention center already several Jehovah's Witnesses, prosecuted for their faith, have been held. Their conduct and Samvel's integrity made a good impression on the administration of the institution and other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250919","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev complains of worsening health problems and trouble sleeping. According to the defendant, samples for diagnosis were taken, medical documents about his health condition were collected and are being prepared for his hospitalization.\nYuriy cannot read the Bible, was taken away to be approved, but it has not yet been returned to him.\nAleksey Dmitriyev needs the help of a trauma specialist because he has a swollen knee, and he also requires dental treatment. There are four people in his cell and no one smokes. The visits from his wife, who is his public defender, are a great source of support for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250912","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap continues to receive letters of emotional support, which earns her the respect of her cellmates. Once, seeing the volume of correspondence, they asked in surprise: \"Are they all just for you? You really have good friends!\"\nThere are now 17 people in the cell where Oksana is being held. The prisoner with HIV was transferred to another room, but the woman with hepatitis C remains.\nAnastasia Anufrieva is being held in a cell with 15 people. She continues to receive letters, and having a Bible helps her to maintain inner peace.\nAlena Chernobaeva receives less letters, but the Bible remains a great support.\nThe cellmates respect and sympathize with Oksana, Anastasia and Alena. The administration of the pretrial detention center is impartial towards the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250912","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers are in quarantine cells. Mikhail Proshenkov and Aleksandr Akelin have already received letters from their relatives.\nProshenkov has pain in his joints, and to relieve the pain, he massages his legs. He developed a tremor due to the stress he suffered during the search; his body still shows marks from the stun gun. Mikhail has difficulty reading because law enforcement officers broke his glasses; but there is a large print copy of the Gospels in his cell.\nAleksey Kazakov misses his family. Being separated is especially difficult for his daughter, who has been disabled since childhood — they have never been apart even for a week.\nAleksandr Akelin receives the necessary medications from his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250912","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Mikholap remains in a special unit, in a two-person cell. The attitude of his cellmate and the staff of the pretrial detention center is respectful.\nVladimir Anufriev is now being held in a two-person cell. There is hot water; from the window you can see the forest and the sun. Out of respect for Vladimir, his cellmate stopped smoking in his presence.\nThe believer notes that his eyesight continues to deteriorate due to incorrect lenses prescribed by the doctor of the medical unit of the detention center. In addition, being moved frequently from one cell to another have led to a back injury and severe pain, so he tries to regularly perform suitable physical exercises.\nVladimir continues to receive letters, although the number has decreased. He writes four replies a day. He can read the Synodal translation of the Bible.\nViktor Chernobaev had a cold a couple of months ago, but fully recovered. He is kept in a two-person cell where there is hot water. His cellmate and the staff of the pretrial detention center are friendly. He is supported by regularly receiving packages.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250911","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Novopashin is transferred to solitary confinement. According to the believer, the cell is very small — about 2 by 2 meters. He has all necessary things with him. It is cold in the cell and there is no hot water but before the transfer he managed to receive warm clothes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250911","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion for Aleksey Dmitriev to see a traumatologist for his swollen knee. The court refuses, explaining that the medical unit of the pretrial detention center can provide assistance and, if necessary, send the accused to a state hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250910","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu was transferred to the Simferopol pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20250910","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends four believers — Aleksandr Akelin, 59, Mikhail Proshenkov, 58, Aleksey Kazakov, 56, and Filipp Ombysh, 40 — to a pretrial detention center. Sergey Yefremov, 29, is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250905","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin finds the conditions of detention in the pretrial detention center acceptable. He is kept in a cell for 9 people. He tries to keep himself in good shape by exercising. His relations with cellmates and the administration staff are respectful. Oleg can see his wife on short visits twice a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20250905","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The protocol of the examination of material evidence — video recordings — is read out. In one of them, a witness for the prosecution comments on sensitive political matters, while believer Aleksey Dmitriyev clearly distances himself from such discussions. The defense regards the behavior of the former as provocative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250904","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Fomin is awaiting transfer to the penal colony. He does not lose heart. The believer has a Bible, but apparently, he does not receive all of his letters.\nThere are two others in the cell, with whom Fomin has a good relationship. Summer was not very hot and it was easier to be indoors than last year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250903","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 3 and 4, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted searches at at least five addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Saratov and the village of Anastasino. As part of a new criminal case, five believers aged 29 to 59 were detained.\nThe raid began at about 6 p.m. Law enforcement officers broke into the home of one believer's family at 1:30 a.m. The Criminal Procedural Code allows a search at night only under urgent circumstances, but in this case the court had given permission at the end of August to carry out the search. FSB officers seized electronic devices and storage media, as well as personal notes.\nAfter the searches, law enforcement officers took Mikhail Proshenkov, Aleksey Kazakov, Aleksandr Akelin, Filipp Ombysh and Sergey Yefremov to the station. The wives and children of the believers were also interrogated. On Friday, September 5, the Frunzenskiy District Court placed Yefremov under house arrest, and sent the rest of the detainees to a pretrial detention center.\nIn the Saratov Region, 20 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith: seven of them received prison sentences, and three — Feliks Makhammadiyev, Konstantin Bazhenov, and Rustam Seidkuliev — were stripped of their citizenship and expelled from the country.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/110833.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Five Believers Arrested After Raid Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"Anna Safronova is in the process of being transferred to another penal colony, which has become a difficult ordeal for her. Her long-awaited visit from her son fell through. Anna was informed about the transfer during working hours, giving her 1.5 hours to pack. The prisoners who lived with her in the same barracks cried, hugged her and did not want to part.\nDetention center No. 2 in Pyatigorsk is an intermediate stop. Anna is in a cell where 11 other prisoners are being held, most of whom smoke. The believer asked the administration to be transferred to a non-smoking cell, but was refused. The room is noisy at night and it is difficult to fall asleep even with earplugs. Furthermore, in this detention center, she has problems obtaining her necessary medication.\nAnna misses her family and struggles with being separated from her loved ones. It is especially painful for her that she cannot watch her grandchildren grow up. The youngest of them, who is now 4 years old, was born shortly before the start of her criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-09-02T15:34:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250902","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Letters of support and communication with his wife Agnessa help Oleg not to succumb to despondency. The believer is allowed hour-long walks in the yard, where he breathes fresh air and watches the ants. Due to his sedentary lifestyle in the pre-trial detention center, Oleg tries to support himself with physical exercises and monitor his diet.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250812","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude and stay in shape: he jogs in the courtyard of the pre-trial detention center, plays sports games with other prisoners. He has the opportunity to regularly call his wife and mother. Maksim has developed respectful relations with the administration and cellmates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250730","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaur Murtuzov tries to exercise and follow a good diet as much as the conditions of the detention center allow. He helps his cellmates in a practical way.\nHe regularly receives letters from all over Russia.\nZaur requested medical care (ophthalmologist and doctor), but so far to no avail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250729","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is taking place. The believers express how the feel about the charges. Sergeechev says that he always treated the key witness for the prosecution in a Christian manner, prayed for his son, asked God to help him and did not involve him in any extremist organization.\nThe court extends pretrial detention for the believers by another 6 months — they remain in the detention center.\nThey have a Bible and each has 5 people in their cell. It is very hot in the premises and there are cockroaches. A fan has been installed in Dmitriyev's cell. Sergeechev sometimes suffers from high blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250723","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June, Darya Petrochenko had acute pain in the area of her stomach, chest and upper back. Her temperature rose. She felt some relief after taking medication she was given in the medical unit.\nLiliana Korol is awaiting transfer to pretrial detention center \"Matrosskaya Tishina\", where she will undergo an examination of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as additional examinations on the referral of a doctor.\nBoth women are still not allowed visits and telephone conversations with loved ones. Liliana especially misses her daughter. Darya was not given the parcel that her relatives sent her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250719","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin and his cellmate are transferred to a clean, renovated cell, which is located in a special unit. There are two video cameras in the room to constantly monitor the prisoners.\nAn important source of support for the believer is a Synodal Bible and letters he receives twice a week. He already has more than 600 of them. Parcels with food and necessary medication are passed on to him. Recently, he had a visit from his wife — the couple were able to talk through the glass.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250709","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Mikholap was placed in 16 different cells during his imprisonment. Since May of this year, he has been in a double cell in a special unit, where there is no refrigerator, TV or hot water. There are cockroaches. During the transfer to the special unit, the officers confiscated many permitted things from him, but the believer still treats everyone kindly.\nAndrey is allowed daily walks. He is allowed to read the Bible and receive letters of support, although since February their flow has noticeably decreased — now he gets about 12 letters a week. He tries to reply to each one.\nViktor Chernobaev is also being held in a special unit. Double bars are installed on the windows of his cell, which creates certain difficulties: in cold weather, prisoners cannot close the window on their own, and in hot weather they cannot open it.\nViktor receives letters — there are already more than 500 of them, but he admits that he misses simple human association.\nVladimir Anufriev has been in a four-bed cell for 3 months, where everyone except him smoked. One of his cellmates, after talking to him, soon quit smoking. Vladimir's eyesight is deteriorating, but he has glasses. He does not lose optimism, reads the Bible, and the number of letters he receives is close to 800.\nAt one of the hearings, on the preventive measure, Vladimir said: \"Dear court, I have nothing to add, except for one thing: I want to confess my love to my wife. Nastya, I love you very much!\" All the believers miss their partners, from whom they already have been separated for a year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250702","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap is being held in a transit cell, designed to accommodate 21 people. There is hot water, TV, toilets and showers. Some of the prisoners in her cell have HIV or hepatitis C. Oksana has to carefully sanitize all bathroom facilities before use.\nRecently, a woman with pediculosis was transferred to the cell, but the detention center did not have the necessary means for sanitation. Thanks to the efforts of Oksana, who managed to convince the woman to shave her hair, the problem was quickly resolved.\nOksana is respected by her cellmates, who admit that the balanced conduct of the believer has a calming effect on them. The place where her bed is situated is called \"a quiet godly corner\".\nAnastasia Anufrieva regularly receives letters — already more than 1200. There are 14 people in the cell with Anastasia. Thanks to her, two cellmates quit smoking, and others note that since she came to the cell, it has become quieter, calmer, and they argue less. Regarding her well-being, she is still troubled by chronic tonsillitis.\nAlena Chernobaeva is in a cell for 10 people. Two beds are joined together and cannot be separated. The other prisoners are very friendly to her: they call her \"Little Flower\", ask her permission to turn on the TV and try not to make noise when she goes to bed. Her cellmates say that since Alena arrived, there are far fewer quarrels and misunderstandings between them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250701","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy and Aleksey are kept in different cells with 3-4 other prisoners. The conditions are satisfactory; the necessary things are provided by relatives. Since the believers did not admit their guilt, the investigator banned them from receiving letters, visits and phone calls. It also now known that he has seized Dmitriyev's car.\nSergeechev suffers from cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus; Dmitriyev is finding it hard being separated from his wife. Nevertheless, both are trying not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250626","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liliana has received over 500 letters of support and tries to respond to everyone. Her eyesight is deteriorating, she is awaiting an examination by an ophthalmologist. Liliana was recently prescribed and given several injections for back pain. The therapist of the pretrial detention center also put her on the waiting list for a gastroenterological examination. Liliana has a respectful relationship with the administration of the institution. They pass on medications to her.\nDarya is experiencing difficulties due to insomnia. She is being held in a cell with three women, none of whom smoke. The conditions of detention and relations with cellmates are fine. The prisoners are taken to shower twice a week.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250625","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy misses his family and worries about his teenage son, as he cannot fully participate in his upbringing. Letters of support and regular visits from his wife, son and mother help him not to lose heart.\nValeriy has established a well-organized routine in the cell. Everyone maintains cleanliness and order; the cellmates agreed to smoke only in a designated area so that cigarette smoke harms the believer as little as possible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250621","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wife of Viktor Velikov was able to visit him for the first time in two months. All this time, she was not given permission to visit. Viktor has health problems (high blood pressure and chronic skin disease), but it is not always easy to get medical help in a timely manner.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250615","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin is kept in a small double cell. His cellmate is a 19-year-old boy from an orphanage, whom he helps to adapt: he shares food, teaches him to maintain cleanliness and hygiene.\nThe cell to which Maksim was transferred was covered in cobwebs and soil was scattered on the floor when he moved in. The believer tidied up on his own, but black mold remained on the walls, which he continues to fight. A video camera is installed in the room and is constantly recording.\nHot water is available only once a week during a visit to the bathhouse. Walks are irregular due to lack of staff.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250614","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shurygin is in a recently renovated cell along with a 19-year-old. They have the opportunity to go for walks every other day. Andrey's health is fine; he has a Bible and receives a lot of letters. Staff at the detention center and the other prisoners treat the believer with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20250613","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov has been transferred from the medical unit, where he spent more than a month, to the general building. He is kept alone in a double cell. The believer feels fine, continues to exercise, receives letters of support and responds to them. He has a Bible. Parcels with food and medicines are given to him regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250611","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin is in a cell with two other prisoners. None of the cellmates smoke inside or swear. There is hot water and drinking water in the cell. The necessary medicines are given to the believer. Relations with cellmates and staff of the detention center are friendly. Andrey is grateful for the letters of support — he has put together an album from greeting cards and photos. Recently, he got a personal copy of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250611","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Lonchakov is being held in the medical unit of the Vladivostok pretrial detention center due to an illness that is difficult to treat in prison. Additional permission is needed to obtain the necessary medicines, and this could take months. Medicines supplied by his relatives only last for 25 days.\nReflecting on Bible principles, helps Igor maintain inner peace and react with dignity in various situations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250609","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Redozubov tries to support other prisoners. Being attentive to others helps him not to lose heart.\nThe believer is worried about his wife — she has a disability, she lives in a detached house and needs help, including preparing firewood and caring for her bedridden mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250608","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov is being held in a cell in the pretrial detention center along with five other prisoners.\nHe remains cheerful, also due to the significant support provided by letters. He also has a Synodal Bible from the institution's library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20250606","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends for all accused persons the terms of house arrest and pretrial detention until August 4, 2025.\nLiliana Korol suffers from neck pain. Letters of support practically do not reach her or are delayed by 1-2 months. Despite the difficulties, Liliana tries not to lose her sense of humor.\nDarya Petrochenko also does not receive most of her letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250602","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Novopashin, Pichugin, Plekhanov and Djachi to a pretrial detention center. The day before, the believers were charged with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250531","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 30, 2025, a series of searches and detentions took place in Tomsk: law enforcement officers went to at least four addresses. Anton Novopashin, a citizen of Kazakhstan, Djachi Gonhi, a student from Côte d\u0026#39;Ivoire, Andrey Plekhanov, as well as Yuriy Pichugin, who recently suffered a stroke, ended up in a pretrial detention center.\nThe searches began around 6 am. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, personal notes, bank cards, cash and Bibles. Then the believers were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Among them were three women who were later released. The next day, Mariya Tynyanaya, judge of the Kirovskiy District Court of the city of Tomsk, sent the four men into custody to detention center No.1 in the Tomsk Region.\nOn May 29, Captain of Justice Vyacheslav Lebedev, investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region, initiated criminal cases under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. On the same day, he combined them with the case of Pushkov and others. The believers are charged with holding conversations and participating in events with the aim of \u0026quot;involving citizens in the religious movement\u0026quot; of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The case contains the testimony of a secret witness who was present at some meetings for worship.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/051044.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":"Two Foreign Citizens Among Those Detained","tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"New Wave of Searches in Tomsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer has been in the detention center for almost a year. For the first 7 months he was alone in the cell, then another prisoner was placed with him. Sergey is grateful for the letters of support from his wife and friends, which he regularly receives.\nDuring his detention, Fedorov lost a lot of weight. He tries to take care of his health; takes vitamins. The believer continues to familiarize himself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20250529","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev and Aleksey Dmitriyev are held in double cells, each of them has another person with him. They have good relations with the believers.\nYuriy Sergeechev, 73, suffers from arrhythmia. He is disabled — walks with a cane and has poor eyesight. For a period after his arrest, he did not have the necessary medication. The medical unit could not give him the medication since they did not have it. Yuriy finds it difficult to understand the meaning of the case documents, so he has to reread the text several times.\nAleksey Dmitriyev needs dental care. According to available information, help from the appointed lawyer consisted of recommending the believer admit his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250527","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is still in solitary confinement. Reading the Bible, writing answers to letters, taking walks and taking care of cleanliness in the cell helps to cope with negative emotions, if they appear.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250524","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 22, 2025, the verdict in the second case against 48-year-old Aleksandr Serebryakov entered into force. A panel of judges of the Moscow City Court, chaired by Galina Lebedeva, agreed to his prison term but lifted the additional restriction of freedom that the believer was to serve after his release.\nThe prosecutor requested the court of appeal send the criminal case for a new trial, and the believer asked to be acquitted. Aleksandr mentioned that the second verdict, sentencing him to 5 years in a penal colony, \u0026quot;is actually repeating the verdict that has already entered into force and imposing a sentence for the same crime.\u0026quot;\nThe second criminal case against Serebryakov was based on materials from his first case, which were literally copied from there. The lawyer called this \u0026quot;an obvious attempt to prosecute A.G. Serebryakov twice for the same crime with an increase and severity of the punishment imposed... which is unacceptable.\u0026quot; Moreover, the verdict is based on several conclusions of experts, who did not appear in court for questioning. At the same time, there are no documents confirming their identity or specialist knowledge in the case materials.\nBy the time of the appeal hearing, Serebryakov had spent about 1.5 years in a pretrial detention center. Currently, 17 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Moscow and the Moscow Region are in custody.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_da4c15fd36f3f8bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_c1af97b59884bea0.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_b6316ce5bf2825da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_c997d8032bd1fbb3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/260910.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Convicted Twice for the Same Thing","tags":["appeal","282.3-1","sizo"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Moscow Upheld 5 Years in Penal Colony for Aleksandr Serebryakov.","type":"news"},{"body":"Dmitriy, Oksana and Nikolay were transferred to new cells. Dmitriy and Nikolai are now being held alone. Oksana shares a cell with another prisoner. The room was so dirty that the believer had to clean it for several days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250519","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Mladov is in pre-trial detention center No. 11 in the city of Noginsk. After passing quarantine, he was transferred to a double cell. The believer regularly receives letters, he has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20250517","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the couple Aleksandr Tsikunov, she could not contact her husband for three weeks. Later it turned out that he was urgently hospitalized and operated. Aleksandr is still very weak, he needs a strict diet, which is difficult to provide in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250514","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maykop City Court judge Marina Vittek sends Yuriy Sergeechev and Aleksey Dmitriev into custody until June 27, 2025.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250430","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov is being held in a cell along with five other prisoners. He has everything he needs. The attitude of cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center is respectful.\nReading the Bible and letters of support help him cope with the pain of losing the couple, to which he gladly responds. Oleg also tries to take care of his health and does physical exercises. The believer feels calmer, acute emotional pain is slightly dulled.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250429","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor is being held in a cell with three other prisoners. He is the oldest of them and is treated with respect. Cellmates smoke, but try to do it in such a way as to cause Viktor less inconvenience. The room, although not the cleanest, is warm and there is hot water. Viktor is waiting for a transfer from a quarantine cell to a regular one.\nA believer has a Bible. He receives letters of support regularly and tries to answer each one.\nDuring the transfer to the pre-trial detention center, Velikov met Andrey Lukin, who is a defendant in his case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250429","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaur Murtuzov is being held in a cell with three other prisoners. One of them, saying goodbye before being transferred to the colony, noted that Zaur was a worthy person who had a positive influence on him and helped him quit smoking.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250428","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 22, the Krasnodar Regional Court announced its decision to terminate the criminal case against Valeriy Baylo due to his death, despite the objections of his son. He died in the pretrial detention center a month earlier. According to the position of the RF Constitutional Court, the termination of a case on such grounds without the consent of close relatives is unlawful.\nThe crime report, filed with the Investigative Committee by Valeriy Baylo\u0026#39;s lawyer, states: \"\u0026quot;The death of my client occurred as a result of criminal negligence and inaction on the part of the administration of detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk\u0026quot;\". The lawyer stressed that the believer suffered from exhaustion and severe stomach pains, but the staff of the detention center systematically ignored his requests for help. Valeriy, his friends and his lawyer sought treatment for almost a year.\nThe believer managed to appeal the verdict. He maintained his complete innocence and requested the decision of the court of first instance, which had sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony, be overturned. The verdict does not mention a single illegal action by Baylo. As his lawyer noted, although the believer was convicted of extremism, \u0026quot;the prosecution did not claim that he incited violence or religious hatred or enmity.\u0026quot;\nThe story of Valeriy Baylo once again confirms the position of the international human rights community: the criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia is unjust and repressive in nature.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_76201895d13e3d73.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_cf7686757610b3c4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_f4550e9b06270822.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_aa9a217501559baf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/281310.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","died","282.2-2","elderly","sizo","medical-rights","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"title":"Court of Appeal Rejects Posthumous Rehabilitation of Valeriy Baylo","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shchetinin and Aleksandr Starikov have appealed the verdict and are awaiting an appeal court in Tver pre-trial detention center No. 1. They have the opportunity to take walks, the food generally suits them. Relations with cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center are respectful. Starikov regularly goes in for sports. Both men have the opportunity to read the Bible. They receive many letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250421","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Together with Andrey Lukin, three more people are kept, there are enough beds. The cellmates smoke a lot and use obscene language, but they listen to Andrey's suggestion to replace swear words with others that fit the meaning. There is no refrigerator and TV in the cell. The food in the pre-trial detention center is normal, it is possible to order additional food.\nDue to stress, Andrey's chronic illnesses worsened, but the man is not discouraged. He has the opportunity to read the Gospels and draw. Letters from friends and relatives provide great support to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250420","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin is in a 4-bed cell in Detention Center No. 3 in the Chelyabinsk Region. The conditions of detention are acceptable, everything you need is available. The composition of the prisoners in the cell changes from time to time, but relations with everyone remain friendly. The believer does not receive letters yet, he does not have a complete Bible, but he has the New Testament and the Psalter from the local library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250417","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Dmitri Mladov in custody. This decision is made despite the fact that the defense provides positive characteristics of the believer, documents on the presence of a widowed retired mother on his dependents, as well as certificates about Mladov's chronic illnesses.\nThe defense points out that the investigation arbitrarily interpreted the words of Galina Inkina. She said during interrogation that Mladov came to her, talked about the Bible and helped with the housework, but the investigation interpreted this statement as follows: the man \"committed a crime that fits under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\"\nThe lawyer emphasizes that the proceedings are slow, the suspect has not been detained or charged for several years. According to the lawyer, this has nothing to do with the \"degree of danger to the suspect's society\", which the investigator focuses on when seeking an extension of the custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20250414","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin was 10 when his father, a police officer, died in the line of duty. His mother took up the upbringing of the children. In this difficult time, the Bible became a help for the family—thanks to it, Andrey avoided the bad influence of his peers and grew up to be a law-abiding citizen. However, the law enforcement system in which his father worked now prosecutes the man as an extremist.\nAndrey was born in 1983 in Moscow. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked in a shoe factory, but after the death of her husband, she got a job as a cleaner in an cleaner of the subway—here the schedule allowed her to devote more time to taking care of the children.\nAndrey was an active child. He was fond of football, hockey, skiing. He also liked creativity—he loved to draw. After the 11th grade, Andrey entered a technical school and acquired the specialty of a radio electronics engineer. He connected his career with this profession and subsequently applied his knowledge on construction projects.\nLove for God and the Bible was instilled in her son by his mother. Andrey took the death of his father hard, so the biblical teaching on the resurrection became a support for him in life. In 2000, Andrey was baptized as a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness.\nAndrey met his future wife Yelena in his youth in the company of mutual friends. In 2009, they decided to start a family. Yelena works in the service sector. She is fond of knitting, growing indoor plants, and has recently mastered rattan weaving. Yelena began studying the Bible in 2002. She was impressed by the teaching that God is a real person, and he is not indifferent to what happens to people.\nThe couple love cycling, fishing, camping and picnics with friends in nature. They are known as kind and sympathetic people, they have many friends throughout the country. This was noticed even by the members of the task force, who seized postcards from the Lukins during the search.\nAndrey suffers from a number of chronic illnesses. Due to his arrest, he was unable to undergo a series of necessary medical examinations.\nFor 15 years of family life, the couple have never parted for a long time. Andrey solved many household issues that became difficult for Yelena to cope with without her husband. The couple always tried to live close to their parents in order to visit them regularly. The health of both mothers deteriorates with age, but Andrey cannot help them because of the persecution.\n","date":"2025-04-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_c3c4e74d28bc58c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_c90218377fea688a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_8397a479275451b0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_3c65a84ef49e7a15.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lukina.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["health-risk","sizo"],"title":"Andrey Lukin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov is alone in the cell. In the first days after his arrest, he experienced problems with blood pressure due to the lack of necessary medications. The believer has the opportunity to take walks. He has already received several letters of support electronically.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250410","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 8, 2025, the home of Viktor Velikov, 54, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Solnechnogorsk, was searched, after which he was placed in a temporary detention facility for 2 days, and then in a pretrial detention center. He is a defendant in a case for financing the activity of an extremist organization.\nAt 6 a.m., Viktor and his wife heard a loud knock on the door. Opening it, they saw a local police officer, two law enforcement officers and testifying witnesses. The police officers behaved properly. According to them, they were looking for personal notes, Bibles and the Koran. Electronic devices and bank cards were confiscated from the believer. The search lasted about 2 hours, after which he was taken to the Savelovskiy Investigative Committee, where he was interrogated, charged under Article 282.3(1) of the RF CrC and detained.\nEarlier, in 2023, the home of Viktor Velikov had already been searched — back then police officers went to his place of work and took him home. They searched for any documents or electronic media that could mention Jehovah\u0026#39;s name or Bible terms. He was also interrogated in the Moscow Directorate of the Investigative Committee. According to available information, the new criminal case is related to the case against Aleksandr Serebryakov, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the court in December 2024 on similar charges.\nUpdate. On April 10, in Tver, as part of the criminal case against Viktor Velikov, a search was carried out at the home of Andrey Lukin and his wife. Law enforcement officers waited for them for 3 hours near their home. The actual search lasted about 2 hours, it was carried out by four officials who reported to Oleg Postnyy, senior detective for the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Tver Region. Electronic devices were seized from the believers. Andrey was taken to Moscow to the Savelovskiy Interdistrict Investigative Committee. After interrogation, he was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then, by decision of the Savelovskiy Court of Moscow, in pretrial detention center No. 7 \u0026ldquo;Kapotnya\u0026rdquo; until April 25, 2025. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/140859.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Two Men Detained in Solnechnogorsk and Tver","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","282.3-1","sizo"],"title":"Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Again in the Moscow and Tver Regions.","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that a trial on restriction measure for Oleg Postnikov was held and he was placed in a pre-trial detention center for two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250407","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court places Oleg Postnikov in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250404","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"the couple Postnikovs are being searched - this time in a new criminal case for faith against Oleg.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20250403","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","282.2-1","new-case","ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 3, 2025, in Birobidzhan (Jewish Autonomous Region) a new wave of searches of the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place. Four families of believers were affected, including Oleg Postnikov, Aleksandr Krushevskiy and Anatoliy Artamonov, who had previously been subjected to criminal prosecution. Oleg Postnikov was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nThe search warrants were issued on April 2, 2025 by the Birobidzhan District Court as part of a new criminal case against Oleg Postnikov. It was initiated on March 21, 2025 by investigator Dmitriy Yankin, whose career has been built on the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: since 2018, he has handled 18 cases of believers in Birobidzhan, and during this time he was promoted from lieutenant to captain.\nThe search at Aleksandr Krushevskiy\u0026#39;s home, who has a hearing disability, began at 9 am and lasted for 3 hours. In the morning of the same day, 60-year-old Oleg Postnikov was summoned to the Investigative Committee, allegedly to fit him with a tracking bracelet. At that time, his house was being searched. A similar situation happened with 73-year-old Anatoliy Artamonov — he was told that he urgently needed to come to the Investigative Committee and pick up the phones seized during the previous search. From there, he was taken home by car and it was searched in his presence.\nOleg Postnikov and his wife have already received suspended sentences when they were convicted for their faith in a previous case. Earlier, the daughter of Anatoliy Artamonov and his grandson Yevgeniy were also prosecuted. The case against Larisa Artamonova in 2019 was initiated by the same Dmitriy Yankin. Now her elderly father has also come to Yankin's attention; he is defending his innocence in court together with Aleksandr Krushevskiy.\nBirobidzhan is not the first place in which an investigator climbs the career ladder by initiating cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A similar trend is observed in other regions, when entire families or believers previously convicted under articles for extremism are brought to criminal responsibility.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/081349.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against Oleg Postnikov, Who Is Still Serving Suspended Sentence for his Faith","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","new-case","elderly"],"title":"New Wave of Searches in Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer is now in a 9-bed cell, where 7 people are currently being held. He has a respectful relationship with his cellmates. In terms of health, Samvel has no improvement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250401","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir is feeling better, but chronic illnesses are making themselves felt. He is worried about his wife, from whom he has been separated for the second year. The believer is supported by letters from friends and thoughts from the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250323","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovskiy District Court of Tomsk Maria Tynyanaya sends all six believers to a pre-trial detention center for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250321","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 20, 2025, searches were carried out in Tomsk at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, at least at four addresses. Six people — three married couples — were placed in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Tomsk Region.\nAfter the raid, the believers were initially sent to a temporary detention facility. There, one of the men was not allowed to eat or drink for 24 hours.\nThe day after the searches, on March 21, the Kirovskiy District Court of Tomsk imposed a preventive measure of pretrial detention for 2 months on all of them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/251353.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","families"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Searched in Tomsk, 6 Believers Sent to Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"Daria Petrochenko is being held in a 4-bed cell. The investigator does not allow visits with relatives. She could see them only in the Moscow City Court during the hearing on the restriction measure. Daria wrote an application for an appointment with a therapist several times in connection with chronic illnesses, but there were no answers. The believer has a Bible.\nLiliana Korol has a good relationship with her cellmates: they cook food together, share food and things. Liliana does not go for walks, as the sun is not visible in the walking yard and it is very dusty.\nDue to health problems, she almost does not eat local food, so she is very grateful to those who give her the necessary products.\nThe believer has received many letters of support and responds to them as much as possible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250314","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Daler Tokhtaev was placed in solitary confinement in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250312","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Almost all the prisoners in the cell with Aleksandr Serebryakov, including him, had the flu. Due to the fact that the doctor in the pre-trial detention center did not perform his duties to visit the prisoners, it was not possible to get the necessary medicines. The sick had to help themselves with improvised means. The lawyer filed a complaint about the violation of the prisoner's rights.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250310","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict against Inver Siyukhov entered into force — this decision was made by the Supreme Court of Adygea on March 10, 2025. The believer attended the hearing via videoconferencing from the pretrial detention center. By that time, he had spent almost 4 years there. Inver is expected to be released in 1 month.\nSiyukhov sought to overturn the verdict due to numerous violations committed by the court of first instance. The believer had to wait for a whole year for his appeal to be considered. It was noted: \u0026quot;The liturgical and other religious activity of I. R. Siyukhov do not constitute a crime. He did not use any literature on the federal list of extremist materials, nor was any studied at the meetings for worship held with his participation, and the procecution did not prove otherwise.\u0026quot; As for the testimony of witnesses for the prosecution, the appeal states: \u0026quot;They have nothing to do with reality and are fictitious from beginning to end, which was vividly confirmed in the court hearing... [but] has not received proper legal assessment.\u0026quot;\nThe court of appeal slightly changed the sentence only regarding additional punishment — the ban on engaging in educational activity was reduced from 4 years to 1 year.\nMany Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia spend many years trying to prove their innocence in court, but in most cases to no avail. At the same time, human rights activists in Russia and abroad note that these people are prosecuted solely because of their faith. \u0026quot;The fact that I. R. Siyukhov was convicted precisely for his religious beliefs follows very clearly from the circumstances on which the court\u0026#39;s verdict is based,\u0026quot; said the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_9df36c76fcf02201.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_709fa1ff76904dce.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_ad9edfc0a66a6653.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_9b9ba9b4ab8a047c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/111619.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Almost Served His Entire Sentence in Pretrial Detention","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sizo"],"title":"In Adygea, Court of Appeal Upholds Verdict Against Inver Siyukhov from Maykop — 6 Years in Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"Igor Lonchakov and Yuriy Redozubov are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Primorsky Territory.\nIgor Lonchakov, who has a serious chronic illness, is being held in a hospital at the pre-trial detention center in good conditions. The attitude of the administration and convicts is respectful.\nYuriy Redozubov describes his place of stay as follows: \"The casemate of tsarist times squeezes a person, so that he feels humiliated, from the window there is a view of a concrete wall.\" At the same time, the cell that Yuriy shares with another prisoner is quite warm. The believer can go for walks.\nBoth Igor and Yuriy have the opportunity to read the Bible. Letters of support from different territories leave no room for despondency.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250307","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev is being held alone in a three-bed cell, for the order in which he has been praised by the administration. The man goes for walks and does physical exercises, he has the necessary medications. Recently, his wife came to him for a short date.\nIn the pre-trial detention center, the Bible was confiscated from Sergey and has not yet been returned. The believer is encouraged by the letters he receives from relatives and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20250306","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Votyakov and Yevgeniy Stefanidin are in the Izhevsk pre-trial detention center, where they are awaiting transfer to a colony. The attitude of the administration and other prisoners towards them is good.\nFor 2 weeks in the detention center, Aleksandr and Yevgeniy received 50 letters each. Votyakov likes it when friends tell us in letters about their lives, animals, adventures or travels. He tries to exercise and go for walks. Aleksandr is worried about his wife and two sons.\nYevgeniy Stefanidin spoke about his little joy: in the court of appeal, he was allowed to hug his daughter before he was handcuffed and taken to a pre-trial detention center. Yevgeniy receives all the necessary medications for his illness in the isolation ward. He worries about his younger brother, Alexander, who is on trial for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250305","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow Regional Court, having spent less than a minute in the deliberation room, leaves Dmitriy Mladov under arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20250303","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy has been held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kostroma region since August 2024, and during this time he has been transferred to different cells more than ten times. He is currently being held in a cell with two other prisoners, with whom he has good relations.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20250220","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During his detention in the pre-trial detention center, Sergey Zhigalov has already been transferred to different cells three times. Recently, he has been kept in a special unit and put on the preventive register as a \"person inclined to extremism.\" The believer is in a double cell, together with a cellmate they carried out a general cleaning in it. Sergey tries to respond to letters of support that he receives.\nThere are 12 people in the cell together with Viktor Kudinov. The believer experiences health problems - pressure drops and an increase in blood sugar. He has all the necessary medications. Viktor tries to maintain a positive attitude. He has respectful relations with his cellmates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250220","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another 9 people are being held in the cell of the pre-trial detention center together with Zaur Murtuzov. For the first few days after being transferred from another detention center, the believer had to sleep on a bed with holes, but later one of the prisoners gave him a mattress.\nZaur's relations with the prisoners and the administration are respectful. The believer does not lose positivity. He has a Bible. He also draws encouragement from letters that caring people send from different regions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250218","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Cherepanov, Oleg Preobrazhensky, Igor Smolnikov and Artem Repin remain in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Zlatoust. Men are quarantined. The investigator does not allow them to make calls or see family members.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250217","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Anufriyeva is in an 8-bed cell, 7 other women are being held there with her. The room is warm, there is water and a small refrigerator. In January, they were taken out for walks more often. The attitude of the cellmates and the staff of the pre-trial detention facility is generally friendly.\nAnastasia has a Bible in the Synodal translation. The believer received 420 letters from relatives and caring people. This makes her happy and helps her not to lose heart.\nAnastasia's chronic illness worsened. She needs medication, which she does not receive at the moment, despite the applications she has submitted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-02-06T13:59:42+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250206","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cell where Viktor Chernobaev and another prisoner are being held is warm, has cold water and a small refrigerator. Viktor has a good relationship with his cellmate and the staff of the pre-trial detention center. He goes for walks and exercises. Although the complete Bible was confiscated from Viktor, he was given the New Testament and the Psalter. He also receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250203","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. There are 6 people in his cell. There is a TV, a refrigerator, access to water. The room is quite clean.\nWhen Sergey was in quarantine, he was given a New Testament and a Psalter. He borrows the full Bible from a cellmate to read, as his own copy has been taken away for checking. Sergey regularly goes in for sports and walks. Recently, I had a meeting with my wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250131","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Repin has a congenital heart defect. After being taken into custody, his hypertension worsened, they refuse to measure his blood pressure in the pre-trial detention center, they do not give him pills. In the near future, he is waiting for a parcel with a blood pressure monitor to track his blood pressure on his own.\nOleg Preobrazhensky has serious health problems, and doctors suspect he has a serious illness. He did not have time to complete the medical examination scheduled for the end of January due to his arrest. The believer is worried about his 85-year-old father, whom he cared for after an elderly man recently suffered a stroke. It is cold in the cell where Oleg is kept, the believer almost always wears a hat. They don't let him see his wife, they don't let him call her. Preobrazhensky receives letters and parcels.\nIgor Smolnikov is experiencing difficulties due to the fact that there is constant smoking in the cell where he is kept. Everyone except Repin is also still in smoking cells.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250123","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan is being held in a double non-smoking cell. He was recently taken to the hospital for a heart exam. His health condition continues to deteriorate: due to constant pain, he cannot sleep. Since his imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center, the believer has lost 15 kg in weight.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250123","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Saparov is in the PFRSI at Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Republic of Adygea.\nDuring the entire time in prison, the believer received about 3000 letters. He has the opportunity to read the Bible and receive visits with his wife.\nSaparov is being held in a four-bed cell. Cellmates and the administration of the colony treat Nikolay with respect. He has no penalties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20250122","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Inver Siyukhov is kept in a 4-bed cell, he enjoys the respect of other prisoners. The believer receives letters of support and prepares for an appeal. He has the ability to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20250121","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ozersky City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region Aleksey Gladkov chooses a measure of restraint for Artem Repin, Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhensky and Evgeny Cherepanov in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250118","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 17, 2025, in the city of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region, five apartments of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were searched. The raid was launched by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, which initiated a criminal case against Anton Parfenov under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC. Four men were detained.\nThe searches began at about 5:30 a.m. and lasted between 2.5 and 4 hours. Demanding passwords for electronic devices, law enforcement officers beat two men. The security forces, some of them wearing masks and carrying automatic weapons, seized Bibles, phones and laptops, personal notes, and photographs. In some cases, they tried to persuade the believers not to use Article 51 of the RF Constitution, which gives the right not to testify against yourself or your relatives.\nAfter the searches, four men were placed in a temporary detention facility: Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhenskiy, Artem Repin, and Yevgeniy Cherepanov, who traveled to Ozersk from another city to help his mother get to the hospital for an examination. In the coming days, a decision will be made on the preventive measure.\nUpdate. On January 18, the court imposed detention as a preventive measure on Smolnikov, Preobrazhenskiy, Repin and Cherepanov. All four believers were sent to pretrial detention center No. 4 in Zlatoust,Chelyabinsk Region.\nIn Ozersk searches were carried out for the first time. In addition to those detained here, 16 more Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been prosecuted in the Chelyabinsk Region.\n","category":"crime","date":"2025-01-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/211608.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Searches, Interrogations With Use of Force, and Detentions — Raid Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Ozersk","type":"news"},{"body":"Darya Petrochenko is being held in a double cell. The food is good, it is possible to buy food in the store of the pre-trial detention center. Daily one-hour walks are provided.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241229","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is still in the quarantine block. The cell is cool, so he sleeps in thermal underwear.\nAleksandr does exercises and tries to go for walks. He has a Bible, phone calls are allowed, two visits with his wife took place, and permission was obtained for two more.\nAfter the verdict was announced, Aleksandr received 160 letters within a week, now he has 1,763.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While in jail, Liliana Korol remains calm. She is praised for her obedience and cleanliness in the room. The believer tries to combine physical labor with maintaining order — according to her, during 2 days in the temporary detention center, she washed the wall of the cell so that \"the employees of the isolation ward were amazed.\"\nThe food in the pre-trial detention center is normal. Since Liliana suffers from diabetes, she does not eat flour and sweets. The woman has a number of other serious chronic diseases.\nIn the 4-bed cell, where the believer is kept, it is warm, there is hot water. Relations with cellmates are good. Liliana has a Synodal translation of the Bible. She enjoys letters of support, especially those with pictures.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana, Dmitriy and Nikolay are being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kursk. It is quite cold in Oksana and Dmitry's cells, and they have to wear outerwear all the time. Nikolai's cell is warm. There is another prisoner with Oksana, three with Dmitry, and two prisoners with Nikolai.\nBelievers maintain a positive attitude. Nikolai tries not to lose heart, despite the problems with sleep, which began even before his arrest. Dmitriy maintains his health by doing physical exercises.\nAll believers receive many letters, but so far they have been given only a few of them. Oksana and Dmytro have not yet been able to get Bibles from the library of the pre-trial detention center, and Nikolay's personal copy is being checked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241226","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","families","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Taldomsky District Court of the Moscow Region Sergey Mukhortov chooses a measure of restraint for Dmitry Mladov in the form of detention. The believer is taken to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Sergiev Posad.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2024-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20241225","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the cell with Vladimir there are 3 more prisoners who treat him well. The Fomins are deeply affected by separation from each other. They have the opportunity to see each other about once a month during a short visit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20241215","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev is in a 5-bed cell.The food is normal, parcels and parcels make a variety of the menu. Maksim had problems with his back. His cellmates gave him an exercise program that made him feel better. Maxim needs to consult a dentist.\nAleksandr Kutin was transferred to a 3-bed cell, where it is warm and there is hot water. His cellmates have health problems, so the believer is going to write an application for transfer to another cell. He tries to keep in good physical shape.\nSergey Ashikhmin changed three cameras in four days. At the moment he is kept in a 2-bed warm cell with one neighbor who does not smoke and goes in for sports. There is hot water.\nSergey, Maxim and Aleksandr do not lose optimism. They are supported by reading the Bible, as well as visiting their spouses and communicating with them on the phone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20241215","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Initially, Darya is placed in a cell without a bed and with a mattress on the floor, but later she is transferred to a cell in which the conditions are much better. The believer tries to take care of her health, does exercises. According to her, the food in the detention center is good, but she does not receive the vitamins that she needs due to her pre-diabetes condition. Darya tries to maintain a positive attitude and draws solace from the Bible, which she borrowed from the library of the pre-trial detention center.\nThere are bedbugs in the cell where Zaur Murtuzov is kept, the believer is allergic to their bites. Other than that, the conditions of detention are satisfactory. Two other prisoners are being held in the cell with Zaur. Cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center treat Murtuzov with respect. Zaur has already received the first letters of support. According to him, they are like a breath of fresh air. He doesn't have a Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Murtuzov, Korol and Petrochenko to a pre-trial detention center, and Kislaya and Ivanova to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241207","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court once again extends the period of detention in the pre-trial detention center. The courtroom is the only place where spouses can see each other. All three couples have been under arrest for more than five months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20241205","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer participates in hearings in two courts. At 9 a.m., the Kostroma Regional Court considers the believer's complaint about the extension of his detention. The measure of restraint remains the same.\nLess than an hour later, Dmitriy is already participating in a session of the district court, where he continues to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20241204","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","appeal","sizo","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov are in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20241121","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another 14 people are being held in a 10-bed cell together with Aleksandr Davydenko. The believer maintains peaceful relations with his cellmates. Food in the pre-trial detention center is normal, there is an opportunity to go for walks.\n2-3 times a month Aleksandr is taken from the Armavir pre-trial detention center to court hearings in the Pavlovsky district court. According to the believer, these trips are difficult for him, since the one-way trip is about 200 kilometers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-11-06T14:47:19+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20241106","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers have personal copies of the Bible. Everyone except Andrey Tolmachev, who has been held in solitary confinement for two and a half years, is now in shared cells. They are treated with respect by other inmates and the administration.\nThe state of health of the believers is satisfactory. Yaroslav Kalin is receiving the necessary medical treatment. Denis Sarazhakov is provided with dental care. Igor Popov takes daily medications for hypertension and can use a blood pressure monitor to measure blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20241105","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is being held in a 4-bed cell in a quarantine unit. He assesses his state of health as satisfactory. Recently, the believer had an appointment with a therapist, who gave him the necessary medicines. Alexander does not always have the opportunity to walk. He does physical exercises right in the cell.\nThe staff of the pre-trial detention center treat Serebryakov with respect due to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses, who were and are being held in this detention center, have proven themselves well.\nDespite the long imprisonment, the believer tries to notice the positive: after being transferred from one pre-trial detention center to another, all things are safe, there is a Bible, he received about 1400 letters. In addition, his wife received permission from the judge for two visits, so Aleksandr is looking forward to meeting his wife Irina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241105","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Shcherbich is getting used to the new conditions in the pre-trial detention center in Pyatigorsk. His cough hasn't stopped for a month.\nCellmates treat the believer with respect. They are impressed by the number of letters he receives. Recently, he was given several pieces at once after some delay. Shcherbich does not have his own copy of the Bible yet.\nLiving conditions are acceptable: the cell is warm and there is water. The believer has his own bed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20241105","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Muravyov is being held in a double cell. It is warm and the conditions are normal. Igor is still in dire need of medical attention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20241101","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 people come to the first court session. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nVladimir Fomin does not plead guilty and states: \"I believe that the investigation was misled and mistakenly claims that my peaceful actions in the practice of religion are a continuation of the activities of some extremist organization.\" He adds, \"I had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and fellowship.\"\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the prosecution's lack of \"a description of what kind of extremism the defendant committed.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20241017","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Stefanidin is kept in a double cell, sleeps on the lower tier. The chamber is warm and has hot water. His cellmate does not smoke. The administration treats Alexander with respect.\nThe believer does physical exercises to maintain his health, watches his diet and tries to walk more.\nThere is no grocery store on the territory of the pre-trial detention center yet, so Aleksandr is grateful for the parcels with food that are handed over to him. He has already received 330 letters of support from friends and caring people. They also sent him a Bible.\nAt the moment, the investigator is denying the believer and his wife visits and the opportunity to call each other. But despite all the difficulties, Aleksandr remains in a positive mood.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-10-15T14:35:34+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20241015","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy remains calm and positive. Now he has a cellmate, they have a good relationship. The believer works as a janitor. The administration of the pre-trial detention center treats him with respect. The medical staff of the pre-trial detention center approved the issuance of the necessary allergy medications to Semyonov.\nThe believer regularly receives letters of support from different parts of Russia, as well as from other countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20241015","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov has been transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Medved\" in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241014","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It became known that Aleksey Shcherbich was transferred from the Stavropol pre-trial detention center to the Pyatigorsk one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20241014","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan spent the first two weeks of his detention in the pre-trial detention center in quarantine. He is now being held in a double cell. Due to repairs, there has been no water supply in the pre-trial detention center for some time, so prisoners cannot take showers. The believer asks to be transferred to a non-smoking cell, but so far to no avail. In general, he is trying to get used to the changed circumstances.\nIn prison, Samvel's chronic diseases worsened and his sleep was disturbed. Prior to his arrest, he underwent a medical examination and was preparing for surgery. His wife gave him the necessary medicines.\nPrisoners treat the believer with respect. He receives letters and parcels. He has some parts of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20241011","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Siarhei Parfenovich is still in quarantine and is awaiting transfer to a cell. He's sick, but he has medication. He is supported by regular Bible reading. Relations with other prisoners are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20241010","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is being held in a cell with 5 other detainees, mostly young people. According to Serebryakov, one of them prepares delicious dishes for everyone from available products.\nThe believer continues to receive letters of support, mostly by e-mail.\nAleksandr misses his mother and wife Irina. He is grateful to his friends who support his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241007","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Sharapova is released from the pre-trial detention center after 2 years of imprisonment. About 50 friends from different cities come to meet her and give the believer bouquets of flowers. Some have been waiting for it since the morning. Natalia is very happy to be with them again. \"I can't believe I'm free!\" she says.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20241004","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev is kept in a cell for 8 people, living conditions in it are satisfactory. He doesn't have the full Bible, but he does have some parts of it: the Book of Psalms and the New Testament. There are so many letters that the censor does not have time to check them, so the believer receives them with a delay.\nTogether with Eduard Sviridov, there are three more people in the cell. It is spacious, bright and clean. The believer has a complete Bible. He exercises regularly.\nRelations with the administration and cellmates of Rumyantsev and Sviridov are good. The pre-trial detention center is located next to the forest, they are glad that they can breathe fresh air. Believers do not lose courage and try to enjoy the little things, for example, the opportunity to watch the sunsets from the window.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-10-01T16:09:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20241001","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the pre-trial detention center, Maksim Derendyaev is held in a 6-bed cell. Since the administration has not yet responded to the believer's request to transfer him to a non-smoking cell, the cellmates try to cause Derendyaev as little inconvenience as possible with their smoking.\nAleksandr Kutin is in a 3-bed cell. He has good relations with the administration and cellmates.\nBelievers now have the opportunity to read the Bible. They receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240929","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The issue of dental prosthetics for Bailo is still unresolved, since there are no such specialists in the pre-trial detention center. He continues to suffer from toothache and stomach pain, which is why he is losing weight. Due to the lack of movement and lack of walks, Valeriy's knee became inflamed.\nThe believer has the New Testament. He receives parcels regularly, letters arrive, but less often than before.\nValeriy was transferred to another cell, where there are 4 more people besides him. The believer's relationship with them is normal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240927","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 26, 2024, the Rostov Regional Court, chaired by Judge Sergey Shumeyev, upheld the decision of the court of first instance: Gevorg Yeritsyan and Garegin Khachaturyan will continue to serve their sentences of 6 years and 2 months and 6.5 years respectively, in a penal colony. Lyubov Galitsyna\u0026#39;s term of 2 years and 3 months in a penal colony is considered served due to her time spent in pretrial detention.\nThe trial of the believers started in September 2023. Video recordings, which were secretely made in the house of Lyubov Galitsyna, were reviewed at the hearings. The defense drew attention to the fact that the defendants are not in these videos and nothing extremist is happening in them. They also looked at the notes in the believer\u0026#39;s notebooks, where she wrote her thoughts on passages from the Bible to \u0026quot;better understand how to apply qualities that are pleasing to God, such as compassion and mercy.\u0026quot; All three believers maintain their innocence.\nThe Rostov Regional Court has repeatedly upheld verdicts against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. So far, 14 people have received up to 7 years imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/271311.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Two Men Will Remain Behind Bars","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Court of Appeal Did Not Change the Verdict Against Three Believers from Novocherkassk, Including a 68-year-old Woman.","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Samara Irina Velmina chooses a measure of restraint for Samvel Babayan in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20240918","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy is alone in the cell. The attitude towards him on the part of the administration of the pre-trial detention center is good.\nIn August, the believer suffered a cold. He suffers from allergies and does not have the opportunity to take the necessary medications.\nSemyonov has the Bible in the Synodal translation. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20240913","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is considering the appeal of Marunov, Mareev and Tolokonnikov against the verdict of the first instance. The defense filed several motions, including that the case be returned to the prosecutor and that the Bible be examined from the case file. Believers participate in the hearing remotely while in the pre-trial detention center. Sergey Tolokonnikov, due to the poor quality of communication, has a poor understanding of what is happening in the courtroom.\nThe court adjourns the hearing for additional examination of the case materials.\nAbout 30 people come to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20240911","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim, Vitaliy Zhuk and Nikolay Polevodov feel fine. All three have the opportunity to regularly call and see their wives on short-term visits. They also receive letters and parcels from their relatives.\nStanislav has not yet received his personal copy of the Bible, which is being checked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240910","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Vladivostok, where he was transferred from Ussuriysk. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240910","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma issues a ruling on the imprisonment of Dmitriy Terebilov in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20240826","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives sent Igor a Bible in a parcel, but they do not give it to him. Only after several months in the pre-trial detention center, the believer was able to get a Bible in the library of the pre-trial detention center. The man is supported by letters from different countries.\nIgor suffers from a number of serious chronic illnesses, but he does not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe investigator charges the believer under Articles 282.2 (1.1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240826","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov, who complete his prison term for his faith on September 5, remains behind bars. Already on August 26, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma ruled to place Terebilov in a pretrial detention center in the second case – for conversations about the Bible with another prisoner.\nThe investigation interprets such conversations as \u0026quot;the involvement of convicted persons... in the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot; The man Terebilov had been talking to, was working with the investigation, pretending to be interested in the Bible.\nThe administration of Penal Colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region, where the believer was previously held, refused to give Dmitriy any letters of support containing God's name. Terebilov also faced other restrictions. \u0026quot;Whatever he did: read the Bible, prayed to God, told others about his faith, it can be equated to violating the law,\u0026quot; said Dmitriy\u0026#39;s lawyer; yet, none of the above is forbidden to prisoners professing other religious views.\nThe believer considers such treatment a violation of his rights, therefore he appealed against the actions of the colony administration in the district and regional courts, but they did not rule in favor of Terebilov.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_65fa359c7f00a5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_c0e1f92884b6bfcf.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_4054f40088a3bc3b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_aa230fb402d46285.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/091450.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","sizo","letters"],"title":"Dmitriy Terebilov Served His Sentence for His Faith, but Was Not Released — the Court in the Second Case Placed the Believer in a Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"The medical and sanitary unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service insists that there are no problems with providing the necessary assistance to Valery Bailo, despite the order of the prosecutor's office to eliminate violations of the legislation on the provision of medical services.\nIn the letter of the prosecutor's office to the medical unit, it is noted that \"within the framework of the inspection, the facts of untimely and incomplete provision of medical care to V. S. Bailo in connection with his diseases were revealed.\"\nIn response, the medical unit states that during the examination upon arrival, \"the presence of chronic diseases was denied, medical documents confirming a history of chronic diseases were attached to the patient's medical record ... I didn't get involved.\" It is also stated that the believer \"does not need emergency, urgent dental or other assistance.\"\nHowever, Valeriy Bailo still needs medical attention. He has been suffering from toothache since April 2024, complains of stomach pain and needs knee surgery.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240821","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Zhuk, Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim are still in pre-trial detention. All three have a good relationship with their cellmates. So, the men who are kept with Nikolai try not to swear and smoke near the hood.\nBelievers receive numerous letters of support. One day, 18 pieces were brought to Vitaliy at once.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240820","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike is again in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240806","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov is in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Vladimir region. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-08-05T14:43:03+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240805","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Aleksandr Rumyantsev was taken to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240730","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases 73-year-old Sergey Vasiliev from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance, satisfying the petition of the believer. During the investigation, Vasilyev spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility, 139 days in a pre-trial detention center and 882 days under house arrest. Taking this into account, he has already served the sentence of 3 years in prison imposed by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20240723","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo, 66, still complains of toothache and stomach pain. After repeated statements, he managed to get an appointment with a dentist, who, after examination, concluded that the man needed dental treatment and prosthetics. Since there were no materials for this in the pre-trial detention center, the dentist recommended that the prisoner be released from custody and undergo treatment at large. Due to an acute toothache, Valeriy eats only liquid food in the pre-trial detention center. He continues to regularly appeal to the administration of the pre-trial detention facility with requests for medical assistance, but his statements remain unanswered.\nThe lawyer believes that such an attitude towards Valery Bailo on the part of the administration of the pre-trial detention center endangers his life and health. He filed complaints with the Public Monitoring Commission, the Prosecutor's Office for Supervision of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Krasnodar Territory, S. V. Myshak. Two of these complaints are forwarded to the Federal Penitentiary Service for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240723","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk","torture-conditions","prison-treatment","complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Zhuk, Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim are in the Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center. They can receive letters.\nNikolay and Vitaliy have Bibles. Stanislav is waiting for the Bible to be returned to him from the inspection. Believers feel satisfactory and maintain a positive attitude while waiting for an appeal. They are allowed to visit their relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240722","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cell of the pre-trial detention center, in which Khachaturyan is held, is large - 12 people in it, but there are free places. Garegin feels well, the staff of the pre-trial detention center and prisoners respect him. He tries to keep the cell clean and encourages others to do the same. He has a Bible and letters support him.\nGevorg Yeritsyan is kept in a special unit, in a cell for 5 people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240721","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 6 more people in the cell with Valery Maletskov. They treat him with respect as he is the eldest among them. For his personal qualities and behavior, he received the nickname \"intellectual\". The attitude of the staff of the detention center is also good. The conditions in the cell are not bad. There is a TV, but no refrigerator. He does not complain about his emotional and physical condition. He has a Bible that he reads regularly. Valeriy is also engaged in the study of English.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20240716","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Mikholap and Vladimir Anufriyev are being held in double cells. There are three women together with Anastasia Anufrieva. The food in the pre-trial detention center is satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20240715","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtayev is kept in a cell for 10 people, he has his own bed. You can shower once a week. Despite the fact that Dahler has a serious gastrointestinal disease and underwent surgery six months ago, now his condition is still stable.\nThe believer remains cheerful and positive. He has a Bible, which was given to him in the library of the pre-trial detention center. Tokhtaev also receives letters of support, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20240712","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kstovo City Court Sergey Evdokimov chooses a preventive measure in the form of detention for three detained married couples of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20240703","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov is temporarily held in the Oryol pre-trial detention center. Ivan Tchaikovsky was taken to a penal colony in Yaroslavl to serve his sentence for his faith. Yuriy Chernyshev is in the process of being transferred to a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240701","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 26, 2024, Nikolay Yegorov, judge of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region, sentenced Lubov Galitsina to 2 years and 3 months, Gevorg Yeritsyan to 6 years and 2 months, and Garegin Khachaturyan to 6.5 years in a penal colony. The court considered the term given to Galitsina to have already been served: she will remain at large.\nIn August 2022, V.V. Bardakov, the investigator for the Investigative Committee, initiated a criminal case against three believers. The men were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the woman was accused of participating in it. On the same day, their homes were searched. All three were interrogated and detained. The law enforcement officers considered the meetings for worship, which were held using the Zoom program, to be a continuation of the activity of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the city of Novocherkassk banned by the RF Supreme Court in 2017. Khachaturyan and Yeritsyan spent almost 2 years in a pretrial detention center, and Galitsina was in detention for more than a year, after which she was released under house arrest.\nIn the pretrial detention center, her diabetes and hypertension worsened and her vision and hearing also deteriorated. The believer repeatedly requested the administration of the institution to have a medical examination, but for a long time she was refused. And then, when the doctor arrived, the staff of the institution did not let them see her. In the end, Lubov was visited by a representative of the Ministry of Health, who carried out an examination in the detention center conditions.\nThe believers are grateful to friends and relatives for their support. They were especially encouraged when they came and even traveled from other cities to court hearings. They were also strengthened by letters from fellow believers from all over the world.\nSpeaking at one of the court hearings, Lubov Galitsyna, 68, noted: \u0026quot;Disobedience to the laws of the state is a protest against God himself, which is completely unacceptable for me as a believer.\u0026quot; Gevorg Yeritsyan, 37, said: \u0026quot;The basis of my faith is love.\u0026quot; Garegin Khachaturyan, 56, cited the words of Jesus Christ: \u0026quot;Love even your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.\u0026quot; Then he said, \u0026quot;For me, these are not just words, but a guide to action — in the family, in society, with neighbors.\u0026quot;\nIn the Rostov Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted for their faith, 10 of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_8fd13f627334475.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271742/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_9d725187609a11e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_9df8e98346da258a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271742.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","prison-treatment","sizo"],"title":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Novocherkassk Sentenced to Up to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"Prisoners treat Alexander with respect, among them he is the oldest. He receives parcels from family and friends, so he has everything he needs. He has already received more than 1000 letters and tries to answer all of them. It is more convenient to do this when a return envelope with stamps is attached to the letter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20240624","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court Natalia Zalevskaya sends Fedorov to the pre-trial detention center until August 05, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240621","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 21, 2024, Natalya Zalevskaya, judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court, sent Sergey Fedorov, 50, to a pretrial detention center. The day before, the home of the believer was searched.\nBack in March 2024, law enforcement officers first went to the home of the Fedorov couple in the city of Tolyatti, where they then lived, with a search warrant. The apartment of the believers was invaded by 9 people who did not identify themselves. The couple was taken to different rooms, Fedorov was handcuffed and hit on the head. Then 8 people spread out around the apartment, one stayed with Sergey, holding him on the floor on his knees with his hands clasped behind his back and raised high.\nThe Fedorovs were not read their rights, nor were they allowed to make a phone call to their relatives. During the 4-hour \u0026quot;inspection\u0026quot;, according to believers, the law enforcement officers planted several books, flash drives and other items. Laptops, mobile phones, smartwatches, and personal notes were seized.\nThen Sergey Fedorov was taken to Petrozavodsk for interrogation, which was conducted by M.V. Golubenko, Lieutenant Colonel of the FSB. After interrogation, the believer was released. On June 6, 2024, Golubenko initiated a criminal case against Sergey Fedorov under Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC (organizing the activity of an extremist organization).\nOn June 20, in Petrozavodsk, the Fedorovs\u0026#39; house was searched again with the participation of the same representatives of the local FSB. The couple was taken to the local office where Sergey was detained. The next day, the court imposed pretrial detention as a preventive measure on him. The believer is in a detention center at penal colony No.9 in the Republic of Karelia.\nThis is the fourth criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in this region. Five believers had previously been sentenced to heavy fines.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/021634.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","interrogation","search","plant","inspection"],"title":"In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Polosenko and Nikolai Vasilyev left the pre-trial detention center and are in the process of moving to a place of serving their sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240619","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Chagan has left the pre-trial detention center and is in the process of moving to a place of serving his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240619","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Fomin's health in the pre-trial detention center is deteriorating. He does not receive the necessary medicines, because of this, his chronic diseases have worsened.\nTwo more people are kept in the cell where the believer is located. He has a bed, but the sanitary condition of the bedding is unsatisfactory.\nHis wife gave Vladimir a parcel, but he did not receive it. Letters arrive, but irregularly. The administration of the pre-trial detention center promises to establish regular delivery of correspondence. Vladimir can take walks and read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20240614","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","sizo","letters","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By court decision, Shcherbich is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Stavropol Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20240613","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"52-year-old Jehovah's Witness Aleksey Shcherbich is detained. The next day, he reports that he is in the FSB department in Stavropol.\nIt is already known that the believer's case has been separated into separate proceedings and he has been charged with organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the court's decision, Shcherbich is placed in the Stavropol pre-trial detention center.\nYou can write letters of support to Alexey, indicating on the envelope: \"Shcherbich Alexei Gennadievich, born in 1972, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Stavropol Territory, Vorovskogo Square, 6, Stavropol, 355002\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20240611","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the case is returned to the court of first instance so that the defendants can familiarize themselves with the materials in more detail.\nThe judicial board agreed with the arguments of the lawyer and the defendants that the judge of the first instance allocated too short periods of time to get acquainted with the documents, which is a significant violation.\nWhile waiting for an appeal, the believers had already spent six months in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20240611","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While in pre-trial detention, Sergey Ashikhmin and Aleksandr Kutin maintain a positive attitude. They are allowed daily walks. The believers do not yet have Bibles, as the books were seized for inspection when they entered the pre-trial detention center. Men receive parcels from friends and family.\nSergey Ashikhmin is being held in a 6-bed cell. His cellmates show respect for him as the oldest. The believer has health problems — in 2020 he underwent heart surgery. He still has all the necessary medicines, but it is not possible to conduct mandatory monthly examinations in the pre-trial detention center, which can pose a real threat to his health and life.\nSergey misses his wife: \"For 16 years of marriage, my wife and I have not parted for more than a month.\" The believer is supported by letters from different countries. In total, he has already received about 100 of them. Although Sergey does not have reading glasses yet, he tries to answer all letters.\nAleksandr Kutin is kept in a 4-bed non-smoking cell, where prisoners maintain cleanliness. Since the believer is not yet enrolled in the library, he takes to read fiction from his cellmates. Alexander has a chronic cough, the necessary medicines are available in the medical unit. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received 38 letters. Emotionally, he is supported by the photos of his wife, which he carries with him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240610","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the 5-bed cell, Marina Chaplykina has her own bed. She has the opportunity to go for walks. The believer has a Bible. She also receives letters of support. She has respectful relations with the administration and other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20240610","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev has been in the Izhevsk pre-trial detention center for 3 weeks. He is being held in a 4-bed cell. The believer has his own bed. Maksim has normal relations with his cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center.\nDerendyaev can take walks and exercise, which helps him maintain his health. Employees of the medical unit are ready to give him the necessary medicines.\nThe believer's Bible was seized for verification. It is supported by broadcasts and numerous letters, mostly e-mail, of which about 50 came in three weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240607","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Aleksandr Shishkin chooses a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions against Indus Talipov and Valeriy Knyazev, and sends Alexander Stefanidin to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20240605","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers are still in solitary isolation quarantine cells of the basement type with high humidity and lack of lighting.\nSergey receives letters from his wife with a long delay, but other letters come to both men on time. Rygaev and Pyzhov were denied visits to their wives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240604","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning of June 4, 2024, security forces invaded the homes of at least three families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Izhevsk. One man was sent to pretrial detention, two were banned from certain actions.\nA criminal case against the believers \u0026ndash; the fourth in the region \u0026ndash; was initiated by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic a day earlier. The case proceedings are being conducted by investigator Artur Selin.\nThe search at the home of Aleksandr Stefanidin, 32, and his wife began at about 7 a.m. and lasted 2 hours. Electronic devices and flash drives were seized from the family. After that, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation. On June 5, the judge of the Industrialniy District Court of Izhevsk, Aleksandr Shishkin, sent Stefanidin to the detention center.\nAnother of those against whom the case was initiated, is pensioner Indus Talipov, 73.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/070956.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","prohibition-of-actions","families","elderly"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Izhevsk Placed in Pretrial Detention Center After Searches","type":"news"},{"body":"A hearing is being held to extend the measure of restraint. When asked by the defense what the investigation was doing while Valery Bailo was in custody, the investigator explained that \"she did not work with Bailo, because there was no need\" - she studied the materials of previous criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, and also received an expert opinion and characterizing material, examined material evidence, interrogated witnesses who participated in the search.\nThe court upholds the preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240527","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery was transferred from the special unit to a brighter and more spacious cell, in which he is held with two previously convicted prisoners. He regularly receives letters, but not all of his answers are sent to the addressees.\nThe believer continues to experience health problems. He wrote several applications requesting a medical examination, but all of them remain unanswered at the moment. He still needs knee surgery.\nA believer is not given a Bible from the library of the pre-trial detention center. At his request, his acquaintances sent him the Holy Scriptures in the Synodal translation, but the book was placed in the warehouse of the pre-trial detention center. The believer is waiting for it to be given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240517","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","letters","health-risk","medical-rights","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Kutin, Maksim Derendyaev and Sergey Ashikhmin are in SIZO-1 in the Udmurt Republic, where they were placed immediately after the verdict was announced. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-05-16T13:50:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240516","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr was transferred to a 10-bed cell, which contains 13 people. He has his own bed. The man has a good relationship with his cellmates. Letters come regularly. Davydenko receives parcels and orders dairy products at the stall of the pre-trial detention center. He has a Psalter and a New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240516","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Timofeev is being held in the PFRSI (pre-trial detention facility) at correctional colony No. 9 in Petrozavodsk. The believer is in a good mood. He is supported by letters from family and friends. He also has the opportunity to read the Bible. Alexei's relations with his cellmates and administration are conflict-free.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240516","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Barmakin is in the process of being moved from the Vladivostok pre-trial detention center to the Crimean pre-trial detention center. At the moment, the believer is temporarily held in SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20240506","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Achinsk pre-trial detention center, Yuriy Yakovlev is kept in solitary confinement. His state of health is satisfactory. Yuriy has everything he needs; He was allowed a date with friends.\nThe believer receives only e-mails, paper letters are not given to him for some unknown reason.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240429","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Vasilyev and Sergey Polosenko are still in the Togliatti pre-trial detention center awaiting an appeal. Vasilyev is being held in a two-bed cell, and Polosenko is being held in a four-bed cell. Believers regularly receive parcels from loved ones, but for some unknown reason they have not yet received letters. Relations with the administration of the pre-trial detention center and cellmates are normal.\nAfter the verdict, Polosenko had several visits with his wife and other relatives. Vasiliev has the opportunity to regularly take medications necessary for his chronic illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240422","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept alone in a special block - a semi-basement room in which there are no windows. It's damp there, the lights are on around the clock. His friends gave him the necessary things and food.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240419","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives learn that Aleksandr Davydenko is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Krasnodar Territory in the city of Armavir. Upon arrival, he was quarantined for 10 days.\nThere are 12 people in the 10-bed cell where Aleksandr is being held. He has his own bed, but because of the noise in the cell, it is difficult to sleep. The cell is warm, but damp, there is mold, which is why the believer has a cough.\nDavydenko has a Bible. He receives letters and tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240418","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to read out the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym Alexei, since \"the Investigative Committee has taken exhaustive measures to find him.\" The defendants are against the reading and believe that insufficient measures were taken to bring a witness. Lawyers support this position, stating that they have not been provided with information about what work was done to find a witness.\nAfter reading out the testimony, Anatoly Lee comments: \"I can only agree that my name is Anatoly Yuryevich Lee, but otherwise I would like to interrogate the witness.\" Boris Andreev also gives his comment: \"Some of the things that are given here could not be said by Lee and Sharapov, as it does not correspond to our faith. Is it worth trusting these testimonies?\"\nThe lawyers are filing a motion to reduce the measure of restraint for Andreev and Lee.\nAnatoliy speaks before the court: \"Your Honor, for more than 18 months I have been under the strictest measure of restraint - detention. It brings me and my family pain: physical and emotional... I am a law-abiding citizen, so I came to the investigating authorities voluntarily - as soon as I found out that the investigation was interested in me. Doesn't that prove that I'm not going into hiding?\"\nBoris Andreyev says: \"When the case materials were considered, the transcripts of our meetings were read out, there was not even a hint of any extremism, calls for violence, expressions of hatred towards any groups.\"\nThe defense asks the court to take into account the deterioration of the health of 72-year-old Boris Andreev.\nThe court refuses to satisfy the petitions for mitigation of the measure of restraint for Andreev and Lee.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240418","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Dolganov is in SIZO-4 in the city of Togliatti. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240417","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"60-year-old Igor Muravyov is chosen as a restriction measure - detention. The believer is placed in the Kresty pre-trial detention center in St. Petersburg.\nIgor's state of health is bad. He is not given any medication and is not provided with the dietary food he needs. The application to the medical unit for assistance has not yet been answered.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240405","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Abinsk District Court detains the believer. Bailo is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novorossiysk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240404","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Petrov asks the Petrozavodsk City Court to choose a measure of restraint for Alexei Timofeev in the form of detention. Judge Ekaterina Kanaeva sends the believer to the pre-trial detention center until May 25, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240403","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 3, 2024, in the city of Poronaysk, Sakhalin Region, a search was carried out at the home of Daler Tokhtayev, 33, and his wife. The believer was detained and taken to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. He is accused of extremism.\nAt about 8 a.m., law enforcement officers, including two FSB officers, arrived at the workplace of Daler Tokhtayev. From there, they took the believer to his home, where his wife was, and conducted a search there until 11:30 a.m. Electronic devices, personal notes and a Bible were seized from the couple. The search warrant was issued by the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court on February 22, 2024.\nA criminal case under Parts 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code was initiated against Tokhtayev on February 6, 2024. The investigation suspects him of \u0026quot;conducting conversations with RF citizens\u0026quot; on Bible topics, which is interpreted as a continuation of the activity of a banned religious organization and an attempt to involve others in it.\nThe search was conducted by the investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Sakhalin Region, Yuliya Che, who also took part in the investigation of the criminal case of another local believer, Roman Gumenyuk. Tokhtayev became the tenth Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness to be prosecuted for his faith on Sakhalin.\nUpdate. The court imposed pretrial detention for 2 months as a preventive measure on the believer. He is in detention center No. 1 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/081511.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Daler Tokhtayev Detained in Poronaysk","tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","search","sizo"],"title":"A New Search on Sakhalin.","type":"news"},{"body":"In St. Petersburg, Igor Muravyov's house is searched, he is detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240402","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Polosenko and Nikolay Vasilyev are transferred to Togliatti pre-trial detention center No. 4. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240402","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 2, 2024, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 66-year-old Valeriy Baylo, was detained in the village of Kholmskaya, Krasnodar Territory. According to preliminary information, his apartment was searched.\nTwo days later, the Abinsk District Court imposed detention as a preventive measure on the believer. Currently, he is in detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk.\nEarlier, Valeriy Baylo was a witness in the criminal case of Aleksandr Ivshin, who is already serving a sentence in a penal colony for his faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/091547.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"He is in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","tags":["search","sizo"],"title":"A 66-year-old Jehovah's Witness, Valeriy Baylo, was Detained in the Krasnodar Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"The conditions of Aleksandr Chagan's detention in the pre-trial detention center are acceptable. He does not have the opportunity to read the Bible. After the verdict was announced, the believer was not allowed to take a bag with things with him, but he was given the necessary hygiene products in the pre-trial detention center.\nAlexander is worried about separation from his wife and daughter. While he does not have the opportunity to communicate with relatives by phone, he has not yet received letters, but the judge allowed him to meet with his wife Ekaterina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240325","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Atayev, judge of the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, orders Vladimir Fomin's detention until May 21, 2024, despite the fact that the defense asks to soften the measure of restraint for house arrest, linking this to the state of health of the defendant - right at the hearing, the believer loses consciousness, he is provided with emergency medical care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20240323","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 21, 2024, Vladimir Fomin, 44, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses with a disability, was sent to a temporary detention facility in Cherkessk. A criminal case has been initiated against him under two articles for extremism. During the hearing regarding preventive measure, he lost consciousness and an ambulance had to be called.\nA month earlier, on February 21, the home of Vladimir Fomin and his wife was searched. Electronic devices and data carriers were seized from them.\nThe believer is charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. The case was initiated by Aslan Shabanov, senior investigator of the Cherkessk Investigative Committee. On March 23, the Cherkessk City Court imposed pre-trial detention on Fomin.\nThe reason for initiating the criminal case against Fomin was an incident related to the case of Menchikova, a resident of Cherkessk who earlier had been convicted for her faith. The charges against Vladimir were based on conversations about the Bible with a woman, which the investigation deemed to be involving others in the activity of a banned organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-03-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/280841.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"He Was Placed in a Detention Center","tags":["new-case","sizo","search","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","disability","interrogation"],"title":"A Criminal Case Initiated in Cherkessk Against Vladimir Fomin who Has a Disability.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Primorye Regional Court is considering the complaint of believers about detention. They refer to a review of judicial practice approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on January 18, 2017, according to which \"the gravity of the crime alone cannot be the only and sufficient basis for detention.\"\nNatalya Sharapova notes: \"The state prosecutor said that I could go into hiding under pain of a long term. I have been in prison for more than 16 months, I know what prison is, and I am not afraid here. I am a believer and I live according to biblical laws that speak of love for people, I am not at enmity with people, so I am not afraid, even if they give me 6 years.\"\nBoris Andreyev declares: \"My health has deteriorated ... It's not that I run away - I can't go far. According to the doctor's opinion, I need medical supervision. With a schedule of court hearings, I could easily combine court hearings with treatment in medical institutions.\nThe court leaves the believers in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240314","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240313","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk Ruslan Khasanshin, at the request of investigator Maria Volkova, chooses a measure of restraint for Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev in the form of detention until April 28, 2024. They are quarantined in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240305","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Andrey Slavinsky. Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk (287 Baikalskaya St., room No. 312). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20240304","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","sizo","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering the issue of extending the period of detention of defendants in the pre-trial detention center until June 22. By this time, the believers will have been detained for 21 months.\nAnatoly Lee objects to this. He emphasizes that he voluntarily appeared in the investigating authorities and by his actions showed that he was not going to hide. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that he has been in jail for almost a year and a half, although Russian law prohibits keeping a person in custody for so long only on the basis of the severity of the charge. In addition, the guilt of the defendant has not been proven, and Anatoly himself never tried to influence the course of the investigation.\nNatalia Sharapova declares: \"I have no need to escape. Moreover, I live with my elderly mother, who is already 82 years old. My mom broke her leg and can't walk. I really want to help her, to be there for her. I obey God's laws, which speak only of love. And psycholinguistic examinations confirm that there was no extremism in my actions.\"\nNataliya's lawyer notes: \"Of course, the court will decide whether joint prayers are a crime, but [even in the case of accusations of] serious crimes, people are given a mitigated measure of restraint. It is unwise to keep people under the strictest measure of restraint for so long for drinking tea and discussing the Bible.\"\nSharapova and Lee separately ask the court to release Boris Andreev from the pre-trial detention center, as his health is deteriorating. Boris's defenders add that, on the recommendation of an oncologist, a believer needs to undergo regular medical examinations. In addition, they draw attention to the fact that Andreev is more than 72 years old (he is one of the oldest Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars - Ed.).\nDespite the arguments voiced, the judge leaves all three behind bars. Then the court proceeds to the study of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240227","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Byche and Sergey Novoselov were released from the pre-trial detention center. The measure of restraint for them has been replaced by a ban on certain actions.\nKirill Chekolayev's detention in the pre-trial detention center is extended for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2024-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20240222","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is in a cell where 11 people are kept, now he has his own bed. The chamber itself is warm. Relations with cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center are even.\nAlexander is worried about separation from his wife. However, he is glad to be able to receive letters from her. Also, the believer draws strength from reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20240221","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the written materials of the case. The defendants ask the prosecutor to read out the examinations in full so that the court understands what happened at the services.\nAmong the materials of the case are books that the investigator recognized as material evidence, although these publications are not included in the list of extremist materials and are freely available.\nThe general condition of Khachaturyan and Yeritsyan, who have been in pre-trial detention for more than a year and a half, is satisfactory. Gevorg keeps fit by playing sports.\nLyubov Galitsyna recovers after a stay in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov, due to his detention in a pre-trial detention center, could not spend the last days of her life with his mother, because of which he was worried. In the isolation ward, the believer is treated with respect. He has a Bible. Shatalov receives letters of support and transmission.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Chausov, who is being held in a pre-trial detention center, is experiencing certain difficulties due to his illness. In the fall, he spent 1 month in the hospital. He is also more likely to suffer from headaches. The mother-in-law could not give him medicines, as she was told that the pre-trial detention center had everything she needed. However, they were never given to Dmitry.\nThe believer maintains a positive attitude and does not lose heart. He receives many letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240209","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Yakovlev is in pre-trial detention center No. 6 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240209","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aram Danielyan, Denis Kuzyanin, Sergey Polosenko and Nikolay Vasilyev are in SIZO-1 in Samara. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-02-05T13:24:29+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240205","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is again transferred to SIZO-2 in Ussuriysk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-01-31T13:12:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240131","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov is transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Ufa to Beloretsk, pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Bashkortostan. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20240118","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Inver Siyukhov was placed in a punishment cell for 15 days. \"For almost three years of my stay in the PFRSI, I have never been reprimanded, warned or reprimanded,\" the believer himself comments. \"On the contrary, I was held up as an example to other cellmates.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20240118","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","penalty","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pyotr Zhiltsov feels well, but for about three months he has not received letters. He is regularly taken for a walk, during which he tries to do physical exercises.\nSergey Lyulin and Taras Kuzio are worried about their loved ones. They are helped by letters of support. The administration and cellmates treat them with respect.\nAll believers have the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2024-01-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20240108","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Although Sergey Ryabokon has been in jail for almost a year, he tries to find the positive in everything. There is hot water in the cell, each prisoner has his own sleeping place. Cellmates try to smoke in the toilet. Relations with them and the administration are respectful.\nThe believer regularly receives parcels. He is supported by phone calls, visits with loved ones, and letters, to which he tries to answer.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-01-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240106","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the third time, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court extends the house arrest of Nikolai Kupriyansky and Oksana Chausova and the detention of Dmitry Chausov until March 2, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20231228","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detained 19-year-old Kirill Chekolayev was transferred to a regular cell in a pre-trial detention center. During quarantine, he suffered a severe cold. The believer has not yet received parcels and parcels, but several letters have already arrived. He does not lose heart, keeps calm and confident. With the permission of the investigator, Kirill had a meeting with his father.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231218","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov has the opportunity to read the Bible again. He has normal relations with other prisoners and the administration of the pre-trial detention center. The believer regularly receives letters of support. He had two dates with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20231214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Novoselov receives permission to meet with his family.\nSergey's cellmates often change, but thanks to his sociability and peaceful attitude, he has good relations with everyone. He receives letters with words of support, as well as parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231211","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Gerasimov is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Tatarstan. For the first two weeks, he is quarantined in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231210","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator allowed Yuriy Bycha to meet with his wife and eldest daughter.\nYuri is being held in a cell with several other detainees, with whom he develops a respectful relationship. He is the eldest of them.\nYuriy receives letters, it is possible to receive parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to imprison 19-year-old Kirill Chekolaev in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231209","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 8, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, during the retrial of the case of Konstantin Sannikov, upheld the initial sentence for the believer — 6.5 years imprisonment. He will remain in the penal colony.\nIn June 2023, the Court of Appeal lifted the additional restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year, imposed on Sannikov by the district court. The prosecutor appealed this decision in October 2023, and the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara returned Sannikov\u0026#39;s case for a second appeal hearing comprising different judges. In court, the believer said, \u0026quot;My imprisonment is religious persecution.\u0026quot;\nFor the period between the cassation appeal and the second appeal, the believer was transferred from the penal colony to the pre-trial detention center.\nKonstantin Sannikov has been imprisoned since August 2020. He has already spent 2 years and 9 months in a pretrial detention center and 6 months in a penal colony. His detention had a negative impact on his health, and in the penal colony he lost a lot of weight due to malnutrition. Despite this, the believer maintains a positive attitude and good relationship with those around him.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony2_hu_bce02cc6b2982695.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony2_hu_4065c86442783316.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony2_hu_2c67bb3b320c327c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony2_hu_58a310f8beb82f71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/141336.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","2-appeal","sizo","life-in-prison","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"Konstantin Sannikov Remains in a Penal Colony After Second Appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Andrei Slavinsky grants the state prosecutor's request to extend the current preventive measures for all believers until March 20, 2024: house arrest for Sergey Vasilyev, and detention for the rest of the defendants.\nIn Yaroslav's debate, defense lawyer Oksana Pajitnykh, who participates in the case along with her lawyer, says: \"My client is being tried for the same thing for which his parents were exiled to Siberia more than 70 years ago. Officially, for anti-state activities and undermining the constitutional order, and de facto, only for the fact that they were and remain Jehovah's Witnesses.\" She cites the fact that all the exiled Jehovah's Witnesses were later rehabilitated by the state, and now believers are persecuted under the same pretext.\nThe defender also says that Kalin has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than 40 years and has lived in the village of Pivovarikha all his life: \"Yaroslav Kalin always helped everyone, responded to the misfortune of another person, was always ready to provide emotional, moral and physical support, supported the improvement of the village. He is non-conflicting, there have never been quarrels with neighbors ... And then, suddenly, he is tried as an extremist. But it can't be like that! A useful member of society cannot be an extremist.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231206","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","defense-arguments","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for all defendants to be sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony: Yaroslav Kalin, Nikolai Martynov, Aleksey Solnechny and Sergey Kosteev - 7 years each; Mikhail Moish and Andrey Tolmachev — 6 years and 8 months each; Igor Popov and Denis Sarazhakov — 6 years and 4 months each; Sergey Vasilyev is 3 years old.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231204","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","sizo","house-arrest","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In anticipation of a second appeal, Sannikov is temporarily in SIZO-1 in the city of Kazan. There are 9 more people in the 8-bed cell with him, but he has his own bed. The believer has a good relationship with everyone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20231203","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer has been held in a pre-trial detention center for about a month awaiting an appeal. He has good relations with the administration of the colony and his cellmates. He exercises regularly. Bushev has a Bible. Twice a week he is given letters, which he reads with pleasure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231201","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Khabarov was placed in solitary confinement after quarantine. During the month of his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he has already received many letters of support. This helps him maintain a positive attitude. He also enjoys being able to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231128","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Boris Andreev was transferred to another pre-trial detention center. Now he is in a pre-trial detention center in Vladivostok.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20231123","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Gromov was transported to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Ufa. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20231117","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["letters","sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is being held in a common cell of the pre-trial detention center together with those accused of extremism and terrorism.\nYaroslav Kalin and Sergey Kosteev are being held in small solitary confinement cells. They are preparing to speak in the debate in court.\nNikolay Martynov and Andrey Tolmachev are held in solitary confinement cells. Nikolay regularly receives letters from family and friends. He is supported by visits with his relatives and telephone conversations with them. Andrey does not complain about his physical and emotional condition, but he worries about his father with a disability, whom he has not been able to take care of for a long time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231115","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly","first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov is being held in solitary confinement in a pre-trial detention center. He does not lose heart, regularly receives letters from family and friends. He is supported by dates and phone calls to his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231113","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Yevgeny Bushev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Chelyabinsk. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231108","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is being held in a common cell of the pre-trial detention center with those accused of extremism and terrorism. He shows calmness and friendliness to others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231107","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Popov has been held in solitary confinement for about two years. He has a Bible that he reads daily. It is also strengthened by letters. Regular exercise and medication help the believer maintain health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231103","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Saparov's preventive measure for another three months - until February 3, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20231031","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Khabarov is doing well. He is kept alone in a 4-bed cell. For an hour a day, he is taken out for a walk separately from other prisoners. Since the Bible was confiscated from the believer upon admission to the detention center, he writes applications addressed to the head of the pre-trial detention center so that it can be returned to him or another one given to him. The letters have not yet been handed over to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231024","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anton Virich is alone in a double cell of the pre-trial detention center, the food is normal. He wrote an application for a medical examination to clarify diagnoses and prescribe treatment. The administration went to meet him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231023","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to SIZO-2 in the Pskov region, located in the city of Velikiye Luki.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231020","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anton Virich is in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Primorsky Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Mareev is in Moscow's pre-trial detention center No. 4. The believer is not discouraged. When there is an opportunity, he goes in for sports. His cellmates treat him to dishes from the restaurant of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20231012","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion for the interrogation of religious scholar, professor Ekaterina Elbakyan. Despite the fact that the specialist flew to Irkutsk from Moscow, the court refuses to interrogate her. After that, the defense asks to attach Elbakyan's conclusion to the case file. The court decides to announce the conclusion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231011","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Tolokonnikov is being held in a special unit of Moscow's pre-trial detention center No. 3. Three other prisoners are in his cell with him. On the door hangs a photograph of Tolokonnikov with a text about the \"extremist inclination\" of the believer. Every day, the doctor makes a round of the prisoners, and the authorities of the pre-trial detention center come in every other day.\nDuring walks, Tolokonnikov has the opportunity to play table tennis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20231011","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Irkutsk Regional Court is considering complaints from lawyers and defendants about the extension of the period of detention. Judge Pavel Noskov upholds the ruling of the court of first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231009","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is being held in a 10-bed cell with 12 other prisoners. He does not have his own bed. Food in the pre-trial detention center is scarce, it is cold in the cell. The believer goes for walks, runs and strength exercises.\nAlthough the letters come to Alexander late, in 3 weeks he received 36 of them. The believer also has a New Testament. All this helps him to maintain a positive attitude.\nAs part of the first criminal case, Serebryakov was already held in the Vodnik pre-trial detention center, so some employees remember him well and treat him with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20231009","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Popov is being interrogated. He explains to the court that religious meetings of Jehovah God's servants took place at all times, regardless of the presence of legal entities, and adds: \"I still have the right provided for in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation to have and disseminate my religious beliefs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231004","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 Vodnik. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20231004","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During her stay in the pre-trial detention center, the health of Lyubov Galitsyna, who suffers from diabetes mellitus, was severely shaken. The believer is kept in a cell with elderly women, she has a neutral relationship with them. Lyubov worries that her health may deteriorate due to cigarette smoke. The believer has a Bible. She has already received thousands of letters of support and is grateful for the attention to her, which helps to feel that she is not alone.\nDue to the fact that there is a lot of smoking in the cell, Garegin Khachaturyan began to cough, but, unfortunately, there are no cells for non-smokers in this pre-trial detention center. The believer has a Bible, and he has already received more than 1,000 letters of support during his detention in the pre-trial detention center.\nGevorg Yeritsyan has good relations with his cellmates and with the administration, he is treated with respect. He is grateful to fellow believers who help his wife take care of his two children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230930","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Timofey Zhukov was moved from Saratov to a pre-trial detention center in Chelyabinsk. He expects that then he will be sent to Yekaterinburg, and then to Nizhnevartovsk. Timothy has a positive attitude. As the believer himself says, he perceives \"each new day as a gift from God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20230921","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow, where he was already held after a search as part of the first criminal case in 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20230920","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 19, 2023, the homes of at least nine families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in several districts of Moscow and in the Moscow Region (Solnechnogorsk, Fryazino, Dmitrov, and Chekhov). Aleksandr Serebryakov, who is serving a suspended sentence, was sent to a detention center based on a new charge.\nSix days earlier, Captain of Justice Roman Ivanov, Senior Investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, initiated a criminal case against Serebryakov and unidentified persons under an article for financing the activity of an extremist organization. Aleksandr is being charged for actions that took place in the period from 2018 to 2019, when he was already charged under another article.\nThe search of the home of the Serebryakov family began early in the morning and continued for about 3 hours. It was supervised by police major A. V. Tretyakov, senior officer of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Moscow. Seven people were with him and some of them were armed. After the search, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. On September 20, 2023, Dmitriy Neudakhin, judge of the Savelovskiy District Court, imposed pretrial detention on the believer until November 13, 2023.\nIn Fryazino searches were conducted at the place of residence and at the address of registration of one family of Jehovah's Witnesses. The ruling for investigative actions was issued by the Timiryazevsky District Court. The searches were supervised by police lieutenant A.V. Bigishnin. A 60-year-old couple were offered money to give information about fellow believers; they refused. One of the testifying witnesses was drunk and threatened the couple. Due to the stress, the husband's blood pressure spiked. After the search, he was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee as a witness.\nOn September 19, in Dmitrov and the nearby village of Zverkovo, homes of two Jehovah's Witness families were searched. Armed police officers arrived at the home of a couple with two minor children (7 and 11 years old) at 6:30 in the morning. They threatened to kick down the front door. Then the apartment was searched for 3 hours, after which the family head was taken to Moscow for interrogation and later released. Law enforcement officers arrived to search the house of a believer in Zverkovo at 7:00 in the morning. Because of the anxiety, his blood pressure spiked, but despite this, he was taken to Moscow, where he was interrogated and later released.\nIn Moscow, armed and masked law enforcement officers broke into another home of believers at 7 a.m. filming everything with the phone. The family head was put face down on the floor and handcuffed. Later the handcuffs were removed because he did not resist and they found out that his 15-year-old daughter cannot cope with any stress due to a serious illness. The search lasted 3.5 hours. It was supervised by FSB Lieutenant Colonel Denis Kozlov. Then the family head was taken in a minibus with armed guards for interrogation to the Investigative Committee to Investigator Pavel Pavlov.\nUpdate. On September 26, another search took place in Solnechnogorsk. FSB officers detained a man right at his workplace and then took him home. He was taken for interrogation, and then released. During the searches, money, Bibles, bank cards, personal notes, electronic devices and other data storage were seized from the believers.\nIn Moscow and the Moscow Region, 19 Jehovah's Witnesses have already become defendants in criminal cases because of their religious views. Of these, nine people were sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony, and five, including an elderly woman, were given suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_d665666f0a5dd85a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_bd71719f669afc61.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_4aed7f4d320ebdad.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_67833fdad2999079.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/211445.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Serebryakov Who Was Earlier Convicted for His Faith Was Detained","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","new-case","interrogation","282.3-1"],"title":"New Searches and a Criminal Case in Moscow and Moscow Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory chooses a preventive measure for Davydenko in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20230915","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court Andrey Slavinsky grants the petition of the state prosecutor A. I. Melnikov and extends the current preventive measures for all defendants until December 20, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230906","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held on the measure of restraint. The lawyer argues that Saparov has strong social ties, lives with his wife and minor daughter, and is positively characterized by others. He also asks the state prosecutor to give specific reasons why he believes that Saparov's detention should be extended: \"The state prosecution says that the grounds have not changed and have not disappeared, but we do not hear ... what circumstances have not changed and have not disappeared.\"\nThe court does not take into account the arguments of the lawyer and extends Saparov's detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-09-04T14:26:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230904","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a preventive measure for Semenov in the form of detention. He is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Cherkessk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20230831","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov and Sergey Ryabokon do not experience significant health problems. They regularly receive parcels and letters. Andrey has already received about 500 letters, and Sergey has received about 1000. Both have the opportunity to read the Bible.\nAndrey worries about his wife, who is hard to bear separation from him. He did not receive a response to the application for a non-smoking cell.\nSergey, after being transferred to another cell, rejoices in the opportunity to watch sunsets from the window. He tries to play sports: he runs, does push-ups. He says that he feels better that way.\nOn August 9 and 30, Ryabokon and Morozov, respectively, underwent a psychological and psychiatric examination, previously appointed by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230831","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Chausov has a serious chronic illness that requires constant use of prescription drugs. He cannot get them in the pre-trial detention center. Because of this, his disease progresses. Dmitry's wife Oksana is under house arrest, so she does not have the opportunity to go to the doctor and take a prescription.\nDmitriy is kept in a cell designed for 6 people, with two other prisoners. He has the ability to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20230831","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Zhmyrev is kept in a 6-bed cell, he has his own bed, relations with his cellmates are normal. They are surprised by the number of letters Igor receives, especially from strangers. He has already received about 400 letters, and he also has a Bible.\nIgor has been diagnosed with thyroid and stomach diseases, needs a thorough examination and is worried about sudden weight loss (he has lost 15 kg since March 2023). He has repeatedly written applications to the therapist for the provision of special meals, but while the therapist is on vacation, special meals are not provided to him. He is rescued by parcels that his wife gives him twice a month, but this is still not enough.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230830","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov does not have a personal copy of the Bible, he was taken away upon admission to the pre-trial detention center. However, he hopes that after being quarantined and transferred to a common cell, he will be able to get a Bible in the library.\nAnatoly delivers correspondence. In general, during the 2 months of his imprisonment, he has already received more than 300 letters, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230829","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are no young people in Sergey Shatalov's cell, so at 22:00 the TV and lights are turned off, and he can rest in peace. The believer is not discouraged, his health condition is satisfactory, he receives the necessary medicines. He also receives a lot of letters, tries to answer each one if an envelope is attached. He says, \"Letters are encouraging, refreshing, educational, and help you manage your time. They heal wounds and fill good voids, just as bees fill honeycombs with honey.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230824","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Although I am in a cell, there is a feeling of freedom and complete peace inside,\" Ivan Tchaikovsky shares his feelings. The state of health of the believer is satisfactory, but hypertension is worried. He goes for walks every day. He tries to exercise regularly. I am glad that thanks to the parcels from my wife I can eat homemade food. He draws great support and consolation from the Bible and from letters, of which there are already about 880.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230823","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov is taken to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Syzran. The road from Moscow takes 5 days. On the way, due to the heat, lack of ventilation and a large number of people, he practically could not sleep. It was possible to get boiling water and use the toilet only on a strict schedule.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-22T16:33:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230822","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court toughens Timofey Zhukov's measure of restraint from recognizance not to leave to detention for a period of 6 months. The believer was detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-08-18T16:00:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20230818","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Skvortsov is in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Grozny, 800 kilometers from Taganrog. The believer feels good. Every day he is taken for a walk, and once a week - to the bath. Alexander doesn't have a Bible right now. In his spare time, he writes poetry.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the prosecutor's check in the pre-trial detention center, Lyubov Galitsyna is visited by a representative of the Ministry of Health. The doctor listens to the believer's complaints about her illness and conducts an on-site examination that is accessible to the conditions of the pre-trial detention center.\nThe inspectors note that Lyubov maintains order in the cell.\nThe members of the commission are surprised by the large number of correspondence and parcels that the believer receives. On that day, she received 90 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230815","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal overturns the court's decision to arrest Sergei Ryabokon and sends it for review to the Primorsky District Court of St. Petersburg.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230811","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Kursk, chaired by Judge Margarita Dyadyusheva, chooses preventive measures for believers: Dmitry Chausov - imprisonment for 2 months, Nikolai Kupriyansky and Oksana Chausova - house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20230810","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 8, 2023, at least 6 addresses were searched in Kursk. Three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained. On August 10, the Leninskiy District Court of Kursk placed Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and Oksana Chausova, who needs surgical treatment, under house arrest, and her husband, Dmitriy, was sent to a detention center.\nThe search in the house of 55-year-old Nikolay Kupriyanskiy began at 6 a.m. and lasted about 9 hours. Apparently, a criminal case had been initiated against the believer on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC).\nThe law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, personal photographs and cards, various translations of the Bible, as well as a large amount of money set aside for the purchase of a plot of land. After the search, Dmitriy was sent to a temporary detention facility, and his wife, was taken to the FSB office for interrogation as a witness, which was conducted by assistant investigator Aleksandr Gorlov.\nSearches also took place at the homes of the married couple Dmitriy and Oksana Chausov, and Oksana's mother. The couple is suspected of participating in the activity of a banned religious organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nThe investigative actions were led by Maksim Zaitsev, FSB investigator for the Kursk Region. The search warrant presented to one of the believers indicated that the search was being carried out “in order to find and seize interactive devices with the help of which... persons who are among the target audience of the LRO of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Kursk)... participate in meetings with followers of the organization. Law enforcement officers also searched for religious literature in paper and electronic formats and certain “reports from members of the organization on the work done to improve themselves and disseminate the ideology of the religious teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the masses.”\nZaitsev had previously investigated a criminal case against Andrey Andreyev and four other believers from Kursk (the case was initiated in 2019 and the defendants have already served their sentences).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-08-08T18:10:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_6177356838740173.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_c857556a198bd47a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_7034c7ce6c79c2c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_b5318d3fd347f024.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/111810.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":"One Believer Sent to a Detention Center, Two Others Under House Arrest","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","families","health-risk"],"title":"Series of Searches in Kursk.","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov and Sergey Ryabokon are transferred to the Kresty pre-trial detention center (Kolpino) for psychological examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230807","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer receives written permission from the administration of the pre-trial detention center for doctors to visit Lyubov Galitsyna. However, the staff of the pre-trial detention center does not allow the endocrinologist who came for a consultation.\nThe believer is taken for consultation to the regional hospital of the Federal Penitentiary Service, but even there she does not receive medical advice.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230807","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept in a cell, where there are 3 other people besides him. The food is normal, the cell is cleaner compared to the situation in the pre-trial detention center in Volgograd. He does not complain about his health. Sergey does not have warm clothes.\nRomanov's relations with his cellmates and the administration of the temporary detention facility are normal. There is a Psalter and a New Testament from the local library.\nTechnically, a believer can only receive paper letters, but whether they are handed over is not yet known. His letters from the Anadyr temporary detention center do not reach the addressees.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230803","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna's health condition is deteriorating, but for a long time she has not been able to receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center. In addition to the fact that she suffers from diabetes, hypertension, has problems with hearing and vision, she has a new symptom: her leg began to go numb.\nThe lawyer applied for the admission of doctors (therapist and endocrinologist) to the territory of the pre-trial detention center, providing documents confirming their qualifications, as well as a contract for the provision of medical services, but received an oral refusal from the administration of the detention center, motivated by the fact that it was necessary to obtain permission from the investigator, although the law does not oblige to do so. After receiving permission from the investigator to examine Lyubov, a doctor arrived at the pre-trial detention center, but the staff did not let him see the arrested woman.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230802","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anatoly Marunov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Bear\" in Moscow. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-01T14:32:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230801","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the city of Spassk-Dalny.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20230724","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey has been held in solitary confinement since May 2023. There are working relations with the administration, there are no conflicts with other prisoners. There are no health complaints.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230720","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pyotr Zhiltsov is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20230719","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Malevaniy and Aleksey Trofimov are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Vladivostok, where the convicts will stay for some time. Then they plan to deliver them to Correctional Colony No. 29 in the city of Bolshoy Kamen (Primorsky Krai).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230717","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Luchegorsk, the investigator of the investigation department for the city of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, Lieutenant of Justice T. S. Afanasyeva, issues a decision to bring Anton Virich as an accused. He is again accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the decision of the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai, the man is detained for 30 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20230714","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 11, 2023, believer Anton Virich, 43, was detained in Uzhur (Krasnoyarsk Territory). For 9 days, his whereabouts remained unknown. Friends found him in the Spassk-Dalniy detention center. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe car, in which Anton and his wife were traveling, was stopped by the traffic police. He was taken to the police station. There, Virich was told that since February 11, 2022, he had been under a recognizance agreement, about which he knew nothing and had not received any notifications at his address. Moreover, the copy of the document shown to him did not indicate which particular location he could not leave. In the evening of the same day, Anton was taken to the Sharypovo police department, where he was searched and fingerprinted. Then the believer was placed in a special unit for detainees for 48 hours.\nLater, the FSB officers informed Anton that he was charged with a crime under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC; they forced him into a car and drove him away in an unknown direction. As it turned out later, he was taken to Krasnoyarsk, then by plane to Khabarovsk, and after that — to Luchegorsk. Here, on July 14, the investigator drew up a protocol on detention and charged Virich, and the Pozharsky District Court of Primorye Territory ruled to detain him for 30 days. On July 24, he was transferred to detention centre No. 4 in Spassk-Dalniy.\nAnton Virich is one of the defendants in the case against Yuriy Ponomarenko and other believers from Luchegorsk. In total, 22 criminal cases have been initiated in Primorye Territory against 58 believers, 10 of which are in penal colonies and detention centers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-07-11T09:15:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_4714a63614c12d82.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_56560fb2a8169db8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_278447f93dd851d5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_7a8ab9291f708df8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/280915.html","regions":["primorye","krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"He Was Taken to a Detention Center 5,000 Kilometers From Where He Was Arrested","tags":["recognizance-agreement","sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witness Anton Virich Arrested in Krasnoyarsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Romanov was transferred to SIZO-1 in Volgograd.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230706","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As it became known, Alexander Skvortsov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230703","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artur Putintsev feels fine. There are 3 other people in the cell with him. The believer's relations with them and the administration are benevolent.\nPutintsev has a Bible. He regularly receives letters from different countries. Prisoners are surprised that Arthur is written by people he does not know personally.\nThe conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center are not easy, but the believer retains his presence of mind and tries to support others in word and deed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230630","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the verdict is announced, the believers are taken into custody and taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Amur Region. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230623","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Romanov is being held in solitary confinement. His physical and emotional condition is good. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230621","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan, Lyubov Galitsyna and Gevorg Yeritsyan have been in pre-trial detention for almost a year. Believers receive many letters from different countries.\nGaregin feels good. He has the opportunity to go for walks at least 3 times a week.\nLyubov's health condition is satisfactory. She continues to receive the medications that her son gives her. For walks, she is taken only to the roof, where it is very hot. Her cell is also stuffy, the believer has not yet received the fan given to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230615","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike, Alexander Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov participate in the appeal hearing on mitigation of the measure of restraint via video conferencing.\nThe defense files a motion for the inclusion of a reference from the school of the eldest daughter of Sean Pike. The document refers to the friendliness and peacefulness of the teenager, as well as the loving and warm atmosphere prevailing in the family. Explaining to the court the reason for such a petition, the lawyer states: \"Children are a mirror of the family. This characterization reaffirms Pike's moral values as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe court attaches the document, but leaves the believers in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230608","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zhirnovsky District Court of the Volgograd Region chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. The believer is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Volgograd region in the city of Frolovo.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230604","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Barmakin is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Primorsky Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-05-29T11:44:30+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230529","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept in a double cell and feels well. It is cold in the cell because the heating is turned off. His relations with his cellmate and the staff of the pre-trial detention center are normal. Aleksey has a Bible, and he has already received more than 200 letters from fellow believers and relatives. He was especially pleased with a recent short-term date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230524","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexander Dubovenko and Alexander Litvinyuk were transferred from Simferopol to Krasnodar. They are in pre-trial detention center No. 1.\nAnother Jehovah's Witness, Danil Suvorov, is being held in this detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230523","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Melnikov continues to present evidence for the prosecution. He submits a motion to extend the measure of restraint to all the defendants. Believers express their disagreement and ask to soften their preventive measure, citing poor conditions of detention: it is cold in the detention center, in Denis Sarazhakov's cell there is a corpse smell from a dead rat from under the floor, and everyone's health has deteriorated. The defendants state that they have no intention of hiding.\nThe judge extends the house arrest of Sergey Vasilyev, and the detention of all the rest until September 20, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230522","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","health-risk","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Bella Stash extends Inver Siyukhov's pre-trial detention until August 18, 2023. This is the ninth hearing on the extension of the measure of restraint.\nThe lawyer in his speech draws the court's attention to the fact that his client has been in custody for more than two years, and considers such a measure unfounded.\nThe public defender emphasizes that \"throughout this time, there were no complaints against Inver either from the employees of the IVS or from the pre-trial detention center. And he had no attempt to escape or disobey any requirements and rules. [...] It can't be a mask. If a person is really an extremist — and extremism implies violent aggressive actions — this will definitely manifest itself.\"\nShe goes on to say that in the pre-trial detention center, Siyukhov \"is considered the calmest person, other prisoners often ask him to join the cell, because he is comfortable, calm, he never forces him to anything.\"\nThe believer himself explains to the court why he asks to change his measure of restraint: \"If a milder measure of restraint is chosen for me, then is it bad that I will continue to act in a good way like a believer? Otherwise, I would be a religious hypocrite, but worse, a traitor to the Almighty.\"\nProsecutor Orlova, after all that has been said, asks the court to leave the measure of restraint in the form of detention. The court supports the prosecution.\nThe defense again interrogates the expert Ruslan Levinsky, who answers all questions with vague wording. State prosecutor Inessa Orlova asks the court to reject many questions from the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230518","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Melnik was transferred to another building, where the conditions of detention are much worse. The request to transfer back to the believer was denied.\nAccording to the prisoners, the administration of the pre-trial detention center has practically ceased to provide clean bed linen.\nArtur Putintsev feels well, there are no complaints about his health. Relations with cellmates are normal. The believer regularly receives parcels and letters, which, according to him, give him strength.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230517","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Danil Suvorov is brought from the Krasnodar pre-trial detention center to a court hearing in Sochi, the road is about 300 km. By order of the judge, only two listeners are allowed into the hall, about 70 people remain on the street.\nThe defense announces information about the fundamentals of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge often interrupts the lawyer and does not allow him to read the material in full. The lawyer objects to the actions of the judge, since the court actually prevents the presentation of evidence and the presentation of the defense position.\nDanil Suvorov has been in pre-trial detention for almost 2 years. He maintains a positive attitude, only worries about his mother. The believer is grateful to his friends who come to support him at court hearings. According to him, this gives him strength.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2023-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20230512","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is holding a hearing on appeal against the extension of custody. All three believers have their preventive measure extended.\nAnatoly Marunov points out the absurdity of the situation in his case: because of house arrest, he is not allowed to walk recommended by doctors, but the believer is allowed to get to court hearings on his own.\nSergey Tolokonnikov reports that during the 18 months of his detention he changed 4 pre-trial detention centers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230504","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the fact that Yuriy has been in jail for almost 14 months, his emotional state is good - he is calm, does not lose the joy of life. The state of health of the believer is satisfactory. He has a disease of the spine. The medications that were given to him turned out to be ineffective, so he does physical exercises, keeping himself in shape.\nTwice a month, Yuri is given visits with his sister or with one of his friends. The believer has a Bible, he receives parcels and many letters. When their number exceeded 4,000, he stopped counting them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230427","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna has been in pre-trial detention for 9 months. Despite this, she remains calm. However, her physical health is deteriorating - neurological symptoms have been added.\nLyubov got acquainted with her characterization issued by the pre-trial detention center. She was very surprised to see the criminal record attributed to her, reprimands that had never been given to her, and the signature of the head of the detachment, who was unknown to her.\nLetters coming in large quantities are handed over to Lyubov regularly. They support and encourage her. According to the believer, she likes to read about literally everything. Some stories are listened to with pleasure by her cellmates, postcards are of particular interest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230419","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in February, Nikolai Voishchev was examined in the regional hospital for a number of serious diseases, he was prescribed treatment. He must take some medications constantly, but he does not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe cell in which Voishchev is kept is overcrowded.\nNicholas has not been given letters since his imprisonment, but in March he received 250 pieces at once. In total, he has already received more than 400 letters and is grateful to friends and family for their support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230417","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Moish and Igor Popov, like most of their fellow believers, are held in solitary confinement. Igor has hypertension. Although he receives the necessary medications, it is not yet possible to stabilize blood pressure.\nDenis Sarazhakov is kept in a cell with a mentally unstable young man. According to him, the conditions are difficult, it can be emotionally difficult, but he is warmed by letters from relatives and visits with relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230414","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Gromov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Kazan. The believer is kept in a double cell. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230413","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov's health problems are getting worse. The administration of the pre-trial detention center does not allow the medicines that the spouse gave to the believer. But after Sergey presents medical documents, he is provided with analogues of the necessary drugs.\nTogether with the believer, 14 other people are being held in the cell.\nThe very next day after entering the pre-trial detention center, Shatalov began to receive e-mails from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230410","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Together with Ivan Tchaikovsky, 2 more people are being held in the cell. The believer waits for the administration to allow him to receive a copy of the complete Bible. Ivan is preparing an appeal against the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230407","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov and Yuriy Chernyshev are in Moscow's Kapotnya pre-trial detention center No. 7. They had to spend the first night on their arrival sitting on chairs, as they were placed in a cell only in the morning. Later, they were transferred to different cells.\nLetters to believers have not yet arrived, but they have the opportunity to write to their relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230404","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Convicted Sergey Ananin is taken to pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Kemerovo Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230403","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Solnechny is transferred from solitary confinement to a common cell, designed for 4 people. Despite worries about his family, he maintains a positive attitude.\nSergey Kosteev is still in solitary confinement. He has already spent a year and a half in prison, but his emotional state is good. Sergey is grateful to his fellow believers for their letters of support — he receives about 40 pieces a week.\nNikolay Martynov is also in solitary confinement, but this does not affect his positive attitude. He regularly receives letters from friends and family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230403","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky, Yuriy Chernyshev, Vitaliy Komarov, Sergey Shatalov and Vardan Zakaryan are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Kapotnya (Moscow) after the verdict was announced. They can write letters.\nWhen detained, the security forces do not allow convicts to take anything with them, even personal hygiene items.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230331","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artur Putintsev, Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev are still in the pre-trial detention center in the city of Orel. They say that during their trips to court hearings, they were no longer given dry rations.\nBelievers try to treat everyone kindly. Vladimir Piskarev maintains a positive attitude, always strives to occupy himself with something, for which his cellmates praise him. Other prisoners say of Vladimir Melnik: \"By communicating with him, you want to become a better person.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230330","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The emotional state of the believer is good, the relationship with the cellmate and the administration is normal.\nSergey writes letters to his wife, and he also receives correspondence from relatives and friends. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230329","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta is kept for some time in a cell with another prisoner. According to Olga, the staff of the pre-trial detention center note her positive influence on the cellmate - she has become calmer. Later, the cellmate is transferred to another cell.\nAleksey Trofimov and Dmitry Malevaniy complain about the poor quality of water in the pre-trial detention center. They have to clean it themselves.\nOlga and Alexei have copies of the Bible, but Dmitry is not given it, justifying this by the fact that he \"is here for the Bible.\" Believers receive a lot of letters — for example, Alexei already has 364 of them. They are especially pleased with the news from their native Spassk-Dalny. All three have the opportunity to make phone calls to their relatives, they are allowed visits.\nThe administration of the pre-trial detention center treats believers kindly, relations with cellmates are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230329","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is held in a special unit, where prisoners with more serious articles are placed. He gradually adapted to his circumstances, his emotional state is stable, he does not complain about his health.\nThere are six people in the cell with the believer, Alexander is older than the others, therefore, according to him, he is treated kindly, like a grandfather. Only two of his cellmates smoke, and they try to do it by the window. The cell itself is located on the seventh floor, and the walking courtyard is on the first floor, so the believer considers the ascent and descent on foot as a small workout.\nWith his wife Svetlana, they can see each other twice a month on short dates - an hour and a half instead of the prescribed three.\nLetters from fellow believers continue to arrive in large quantities - there are already about two thousand of them. As Alexander says, it gives him a lot of interesting information and encouragement.\nAlthough almost 5 months have passed since the sentencing, an appeal hearing has not yet been scheduled. The believer is taken to court twice a month so that he can familiarize himself with the case materials. It takes several hours to get there and wait, and only 20 minutes are given for the acquaintance itself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230328","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris, Anatoliy and Natalia are still doing well. They do not complain about the quality of food and conditions in the cell. They maintain a positive attitude. They are grateful to their fellow believers for the fact that they continue to write them letters in large quantities, which is surprising to the staff of the pre-trial detention center and prisoners. Believers are allowed to visit relatives. Nataliya has the opportunity to talk to her family on the phone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20230328","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Zhmyrev is being held in a 6-bed cell. Due to his poor health, Igor needs regular medication. Other prisoners smoke constantly, because of this, the believer's allergy to tobacco smoke has worsened. Zhmyrev twice wrote applications asking to be transferred to a non-smoking cell, but he never received a response. Although Igor receives many letters, they are not given to him.\nKirill Khabrik, once in jail, fell ill, but soon recovered. In general, his condition is normal. He is being held in a large cell for 60 people. The believer receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230327","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Ukhov is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the village of Elban. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230327","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Novoselov and Yuriy Byche are held in cells, where in addition to them there are 4 more prisoners. The believers have respectful relations with them and the administration.\nThe state of health of Yuriy and Sergey is satisfactory. Immediately after entering the pre-trial detention center, Sergey caught a cold. Since the TV is constantly working in the camera, he has to use earplugs. Yuri's lower back pain intensified.\nBelievers receive a large number of letters. They have some parts of the Bible – the Psalter and the New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20230327","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vovk, Sabodash, Stepanova and Vaganov are banned from certain actions, and Shevlyuga is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230324","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan and Gevorg Yeritsyan are held in different cells, where the number of prisoners exceeds the number of places. Gevorg has his own bed. No one smokes in his cell. There used to be three smokers, but now one has been transferred, and two have quit smoking. Both believers are engaged in exercises, go for walks.\nThe administration and cellmates treat Garegin and Gevorg with respect. One day, one of the prisoners, meeting them for the first time, exclaimed: \"Oh! So you are the most famous people to whom a lot of letters are sent from all over the world! Believers do receive hundreds of letters, for example, Gevorg already has more than 900 of them. Inmates especially like riddles. The drawings that come in the letters, Garegin hangs on the walls of the cell.\nBelievers are happy that many friends come to the courthouse. And although sometimes Gevorg and Garegin do not have time to see who came to support them, they hear after them: \"We love you!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230321","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev, Dmitry Zagulin, Sergey Shulyarenko and Valery Kriger feel fine and continue to receive the necessary medicines regularly. Believers are held in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20230316","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Igor Zhmyrev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 \"Kresty\" in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. He was arrested on February 21.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230313","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For Yuriy Byche and Sergey Novoselov, the court chooses a restriction measure in the form of detention, for Yegor Pogrebnyak - house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20230307","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov, Sergey Ryabokon and Kirill Khabrik are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 6 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230221","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge gives close relatives of Aliyev, Zagulin, Kriger and Shulyarenko permission for short-term visits. At present, all believers are receiving prescribed treatment. They also receive regular letters of support. All are kept in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20230221","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"*Text updated April 20, 2023\nOn February 19, 2023, in Kingisepp and Slantsy, five believers were detained as a result of seven searches conducted by the Investigative Committee. Igor Zhmyrev, age 52; Kirill Khabrik, age 33; Andrey Morozov, age 47; Yevgeniy Poveshchenko, age 54; and Sergey Ryabokon, age 33, ended up in a temporary detention facility in the city of Slantsy.\nOn February 21, 2023, Judge Yekaterina Ivanova of the Kingisepp City Court of the Leningrad Region ruled to detain Sergey Ryabokon and Andrey Morozov for two months. Kirill Khabrik and Igor Zhmyrev also ended up in the pre-trial detention center.\nUpdate. On March 23, 2023, security forces conducted six new searches in Kingisepp. Eleven believers were interrogated. Five were placed in a temporary detention center in Saint Petersburg; the others were released. Igor Shevlyuga, age 36; Miroslav Sabodash, age 43; Konstantsiya Vovk, age 48; Tatyana Stepanova, age 48; and Aleksandr Vaganov were put behind bars.\nLater, the court released everyone, except for Igor Shevlyuga, and imposed on them a ban on certain actions; it also extended the preventive measure imposed on Yevgeniy Poveshchenko—a recognizance agreement. On April 19, 2023, Shevlyuga was also released from custody under a ban on certain actions.\nOn February 19, 2023, a criminal case was initiated against several believers under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Searches were conducted in their homes. Aleksey Romanov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Committee, leads the investigative team in this criminal case. The team also includes Investigators K. A. Dmitriyev; D. A. Shevtsova; K. A. Podolyanets; K. A. Vasilyeva; and Deputy Head of the Investigative Department I. A. Podkurkov.\nThe searches lasted up to five hours. At least two women required emergency medical attention. In one case, the persons under investigation were not at home. However, their elderly mother, who was evacuated from a war zone, was in their apartment. She is missing one eye, has glaucoma in the other, and recently had a heart attack. She felt ill. The security forces seized her medical documents along with telephones, SIM cards and personal items belonging to the persons under investigation.\nFriends who were visiting believers at the time of the search were brought in for interrogation and later released. During the investigative measures, printed publications, computer equipment, documents and money were seized.\nAccording to a statement from the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Leningrad Region, one of the believers is suspected of \"organizing propaganda meetings with the participation of adherents via videoconference and at their places of residence.\" The investigation equates conducting peaceful worship services with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). What exactly the other detainees are suspected of is still unknown.\nThe Leningrad Region has become the 72nd region of Russia where criminal cases have been initiated against peaceful and law-abiding Christians—Jehovah's Witnesses. As Aleksander Verkhovskiy, director of the information and analytical center SOVA, said (original in English): “The scale and cruelty of pressure [on believers] is growing. Last year we harbored some hope that the repressive campaign could at least slow down, but we were wrong.”\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights emphasized that the actions of the Russian authorities \"disclosed indications of a policy of intolerance . . . designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it” (§·254). Despite demands by human rights organizations and the world community to stop the persecution, believers in dozens of regions of the Russian Federation are being prosecuted merely for their peaceful beliefs.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/211543.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":"Five People Are Behind Bar","tags":["search","sizo","ivs","new-case","interrogation","282.2-1","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"For the First Time Since 2017, a Criminal Case Has Been Initiated Against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Leningrad Region for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov has familiarized himself with the materials of the case, and is waiting for the start of the trial. His health is fine. Letters from friends and relatives come intermittently. The believer and his cellmates were temporarily transferred to a smaller cell, now there are 7 people for 6 places.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230216","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning of February 14, 2023, law enforcement officers in the city of Saransk conducted at least 10 searches in the homes of believers who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Mikhail Shevchuk, Artem Velichko, and Ivan Neverov were sent to Detention Center No. 1 in the Republic of Mordovia.\nOn January 11, 2023, V. A. Makeyeva, an investigator for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, initiated a criminal case against three local residents. She saw the friendly meetings of believers as a crime—\"organizing the activity of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Investigator K. I. Frantsuzov is handling the case. On February 3, he received permission from the court to conduct searches in the region.\nLaw enforcement officers arrived at the home of one of the families in Saransk at 5:40 in the morning. Security forces led by Investigator Roman Obraztsov seized electronic devices, notebooks with recipes and Bible quotes, and three passports for travel abroad. After a five-hour search, the OMON officers took the woman and one of her daughters to the center for combating extremism, where the security forces ascertained how the religious meetings were conducted. According to the believers, the officers threatened that if the woman would not incriminate herself and fellow believers, \"it would be bad for her daughters.\"\nInvestigative measures were also conducted in the house of a believer from the village of Zvezdnyi, located two kilometers from the city of Saransk. The search began at 6:00 a.m. and lasted three hours; Lieutenant Colonel P. P. Soldatkin participated in it. When security forces rushed onto the property, they fired powder from a fire extinguisher at the owner's dog (veterinary care was required). Police officers searched the entire two-story house with an attic and a garage and seized video cassettes, notebooks with poems, two passports for travel abroad, CDs with photographs, and a recording of a children's performance. During the interrogation, the woman was threatened with being sent to a pre-trial detention center if she did not testify against herself and her relatives. The interrogation was carried out by three investigators at once, two of which were I. S. Markelov and K. I. Frantsuzov.\nIn Saransk, six believers, including a woman, have already been sentenced to a penal colony. One of the convicts is Aleksandr, the younger brother of Mikhail Shevchuk.\nThe European Court of Human Rights stated in its decision: “That broad definition of 'extremism' ... [led] to arbitrary prosecutions but also prevented individuals or organisations from being able to anticipate that their conduct, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or animosity it was, could be categorized as ‘extremist’ and censured with restrictive measures.” (§ 158)\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-14T09:43:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_53008b2391e56dce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_229bf01407e50de3.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_bc139fa94e3150cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_b1602e6c7ea13af1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/241011.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":"Three Believers Were Arrested","tags":["search","sizo","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the City of Saransk.","type":"news"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta is alone in the cell. Her general health is satisfactory, but her blood pressure often rises, and she is stressed because of the harsh sentence. She receives letters of support and parcels with the necessary things. She has already had her first date with her son and husband, and she also has the opportunity to make phone calls.\nAleksey Trofimov is in a cell with two prisoners, relations with them are normal. The believer had a date with his wife and sister, who came from another city to support his family.\nDmitry Malevaniy also has good relations with his cellmates. He had already had the opportunity to see his wife and mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Lyubov Galitsyna in the pre-trial detention center. The believer has a cheerful spirit. She is determined to continue to defend her innocence in court.\nLyubov began to receive regular letters of support from friends and fellow believers. There were no letters for a month, but then 400 pieces were brought at once. She does not have time to answer everyone, as letters come in 30-40 pieces every two days.\nIn connection with the deteriorating state of health, the believer appealed to the head of the pre-trial detention center with a request for a medical examination. However, she was told that her illnesses did not prevent her from being held in detention \"unless diabetes leads to gangrene.\" Lyubov received her second vaccination against covid so that her relatives would be allowed to visit her. In spite of everything, she is not discouraged and is grateful to everyone who comes to court to support and encourage her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230208","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov and Aleksandr Rumyantsev are kept in warm 4-bed cells. According to believers, the food in the pre-trial detention center leaves much to be desired, but relatives order additional food. On the whole, believers are doing well.\nAleksandr notes the good attitude of the employees of the pre-trial detention center. Eduard is the eldest in the cell, he is respected.\nBelievers have the Bible in different translations. They receive regular letters of support. Eduard has already received more than 3000.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230208","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 17, 2023, the Maykop City Court refused to release from custody Nikolay Voishchev, a 67-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Maykop, where he has been held for more than 3 months only because of his faith as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He will stay in the detention center for at least another six months, despite his being diagnosed with an illness.\nThe judge ignored Nikolay's age, as well as the need for urgent re-diagnosis and emergency treatment, even though the defense provided the court with all the necessary medical documents. According to the treatment plan, the believer should have had a tumor assessed back in October. But instead, the believer is forced to be in a cramped cold cell without proper medical care, while his illness worsens.\nIn a recent decision, the ECHR ordered Russia to “take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses ... and release of all Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been deprived of their liberty” (§ 290).\n","category":"prison","date":"2023-01-31T16:14:25+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_b2f7602125f54ebe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_de99acb6b37a6943.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_6e0cd92444077d24.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_2259fc288b0c3b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/311614.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Behind Bars Nikolay Voishchev cannot receive proper treatment","tags":["elderly","sizo","medical-rights","health-risk","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court Keeps an Elderly Believer From Maykop in a Detention Center for Months.","type":"news"},{"body":"Mikhail Moish does not complain about his state of health. He spent several days in the same cell with a mentally unstable young man. In addition, it was cold in this cell and he had to sleep in a jacket. However, after his written request, he was transferred to a cell with better conditions.\nOn the part of the administration, the attitude is normal, there were no penalties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230130","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Tolmachev, Denis Sarazhakov, Igor Popov, Alexey Solnechny and Nikolay Martynov are in a good emotional state. However, they have health difficulties - they periodically suffer from colds, as the cells are damp and cold. Andrey Tolmachev worries about his elderly parents, who were left without his care.\nBelievers thank their fellow believers for the letters that each of them receives 150-200 per month. They say: \"Assurances of love give us strength and help us endure the hardships of unjust detention. We would like to respond to every letter, but it is physically impossible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230129","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of believers visit them in SIZO-1 in the Amur Region. Yevgeny Bitusov says that so far he is alone in a 2-bed cell, and Leonid Druzhinin is with four other prisoners in a 6-bed cell. The believers were not given blankets, because, according to the duty officer, they ran out. Yevgeny's cell is very cold, the window does not close.\nEvgeniy and Leonid receive both paper and support emails.\nThe believers also talk about the conditions of detention in the Zeya temporary detention facility, where they stayed for 10 days: the air temperature in the cell did not exceed +7°C, and the walls were covered with ice in some places.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20230127","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov in SIZO-4 in Moscow. They say that the difficulty is the long and tedious road to court, which takes from 2 to 6 hours. However, even in the most difficult circumstances, believers look for the positive. For example, they rejoice if they do not smoke in a paddy wagon on the way to court, appreciate the opportunity to see friends and relatives who come to each hearing. Sergei recalls how one of the prisoners once offered him a lollipop so that he would not get motion sickness. Mareev and Tolokonnikov receive many letters from fellow believers. Roman tells that he is written from 64 countries of the world.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230118","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the appeals of lawyers against the decision of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region to extend the period of detention of Lyubov Galitsyna in the pre-trial detention center are considered.\nThe defense emphasizes the fact of a procedural violation: the decision to prosecute as an accused was made by the investigator in the absence of authority. Points to the inaction of the investigator: \"In the Rostov region, under this article, this is the only case when a 66-year-old woman is in custody. This is an excessively harsh measure of restraint.\" Focuses the court's attention on the serious chronic illnesses of the accused and on the fact that the investigator unreasonably refused to satisfy the petition for the appointment of a medical examination to establish the state of health.\nLyubov Galitsina in her speech draws attention to the fact that she never had any intention to hide, because, after returning from vacation, she personally appeared before the investigator for interrogation. She also says that she has no desire or ability to put pressure on witnesses in the case, since she does not know them. The believer explains that in the pre-trial detention center her health is deteriorating greatly, her eyesight and hearing are falling, and her chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension have worsened.\nThe court rejects the appeals, but excludes the word \"inclusive\" from the operative part of the decision to detain the accused until February 10, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230118","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Together with Alexander, 10 people are kept in the cell, they live together, they do not offend the believer. One young cellmate even gave him his lower bunk. It is not cold in the cell, there are smokers, but they do not cause discomfort. Alexander has the opportunity to walk, once he was even able to play football. He receives so many letters that he does not have time to read them. He receives all the necessary medicines on time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230113","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer asks the court to transfer the accused to house arrest due to his deteriorating state of health. The defendant says that in the summer of last year he began to undergo examination in the oncology dispensary. \"The doctor prescribed the treatment and prescribed an in-depth examination after another three months. But I never finished it because of my detention,\" Voishchev said. \"While in jail, I applied to consult a doctor, but my request was not granted.\"\nNevertheless, the judge extends the period of detention in the pre-trial detention center for six months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230111","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Dubovenko and Aleksandr Litvinyuk are being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. They can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-01-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230104","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court will leave believers in pre-trial detention until March 18, 2023. This is the third extension of detention after the case has been submitted to the court. Morozov has been held in custody for 1 year and 5 months, and Usanov for 1 year and 9 months.\nAccording to the defendants, they are perfectly fine, emotionally and physically feeling well.\nThe next hearings in the Taiga City Court are scheduled for January 9 and 10, 2023. It is planned to interrogate prosecution witnesses, including the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the Kemerovo Region, Yulia Anulieva, as well as the interrogation of expert Vadim Shiller.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20221229","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valeriy Tibiy in the pre-trial detention center. The believer does not complain about his health. A sense of humor helps him maintain a positive attitude.\nThere are 3 more people in the cell with Valery. Two prisoners in the cell smoke a lot. The believer is respected by his cellmates and the administration. He has the opportunity to read the Gospels, as he left the complete Bible to the prisoners at their request in the previous pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20221228","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers visit five believers in the Blagoveshchensk pre-trial detention center, who were placed in custody after the conviction.\nSergey Yermilov does not complain about his health, the conditions of detention, according to him, are tolerable. The administration and prisoners treat the believer with respect. Sergey reports that \"the letters are difficult\", the Bible was taken away for verification, but he has a pocket format of the New Testament and Psalms. The believer says that it is still difficult for him to get used to the new realities of life. He longs for his son and wife, who is also accused under an extremist article. Sometimes on a walk, Sergey hears his co-religionist Adam Svarichevskiy, who is in the same pre-trial detention center, singing, and this supports his spirit.\nAnton Olshevsky is kept in a clean cell. He is respected by others. The prisoners are surprised that he was imprisoned for believing in God. The believer has a disease - coxarthrosis at the initial stage, but he has not yet received the necessary medicines, since his health documents and prescription were lost in the pre-trial detention center. In his spare time, Olszewski draws pictures with pencils, which he took with him. He receives letters of support, they help him not to lose heart. The Bible is still being checked by the censor. Anton worries that he cannot be near his young son, and also worries about his wife, who is under criminal prosecution, and his father-in-law, who also received a sentence for his faith in this criminal case.\nAdam Svarichevsky, Sergey Afanasyev and Sergey Kardakov are in a good emotional state, but they are worried about their wives. They do not complain about their health, they have the necessary medicines. Prisoners say that they have already been transferred from quarantine to ordinary cells. Svarichevsky has one cellmate. Afanasyev and Kardakov are held in cells, where there are 6 other people besides them. Relations with prisoners are normal. Svarichevsky has a Bible. Afanasyev and Kardakov say that when they were admitted to the pre-trial detention center, their books were taken away, so they wrote an application to the library of the pre-trial detention center with a request to give them Bibles. Prisoners receive letters of support from relatives and fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221226","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Updated January 24, 2023. All data updated as of December 31, 2022.\nIn 2022, the ECHR declared the 2017 ban on Jehovah's Witnesses illegal. However, the repression not only did not weaken, but also updated records: in 2022, the courts sentenced 44 believers to a total of 244 years in prison (a year earlier, the figure was 160 years in prison). Other sad records were also recorded: the number of convictions, as well as the number of believers who are simultaneously in colonies and pre-trial detention centers.\nHow many people were repressed for their faith in 2022? As of December 31, 2022, 674 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are officially in the status of accused, suspected, indicted, convicted, or acquitted. Of these, 77 learned about the criminal prosecution in 2022. (In 2019, this figure was 213, in 2020 146, and in 2021 - 142.) The total number of criminal cases reached 319 (most often 2 or more defendants in one case).\nWhat is the geographical scope of repression for faith? Criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already been initiated in 72 regions of Russia. In 2022, cases were initiated in 2 new regions of Russia - Altai and Buryatia. (In 2019, criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses was initiated in 21 new regions of Russia, in 2020 in 8 new regions, and in 2021 in 10.)\nHow many convictions for faith were handed down in 2022, and how many have gone into effect? During 2022, 119 believers were found guilty under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced by the courts of first instance to various punishments. (In 2019, this figure was 18, and in 2020 it was 39, in 2021 it was 111.) Of these, 57 people are still awaiting the decision of the appeal. With regard to 108 believers, appeals were held during 2022 and the sentences entered into force. In some cases, the punishment was mitigated or toughened, but most often it remained unchanged.\nIn total, as of December 31, 2022, 284 male and female Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted for their faith in the past 5 years.\nWhat sentences were handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022? In total, during 2022, 44 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment, which is a sad record (in 2021, 32 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment). The duration of the punishment has also been toughened: in 2022, the average term in a colony imposed on believers was 5.5 years, while in 2021 this average figure was 5.0 years. For 6 years or more, 35 out of 44 believers were sent to a penal colony. In addition, 62 believers were conditionally sentenced to imprisonment (68 in 2021), 12 people were fined (10 in 2021) and 1 person was sentenced to 4 years of correctional labor. The most inhuman is the sentence of 7 years in prison imposed on Andrei Vlasov, a disabled person who cannot do without assistance. Due to strict restrictions in one of the correctional facilities, he developed soft tissue necrosis (bedsores), which he tries to cure.\nIn 2022, the acquittal of the believer handed down in 2021 was overturned on appeal. In addition, during 2022, 3 acquittals were issued – to three believers in the case of the Bazhenovs and others in Yelizovo (however, this verdict was overturned at the stage of the 2nd cassation in the Supreme Court of Russia), one believer in the case of Khabarov in Porkhov (however, this sentence was overturned on appeal) and three believers in the case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk (however, these believers are heard in court another criminal case for faith).\nHow many Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through temporary detention facilities, pre-trial detention centers or colonies, and how many are still being held there. In 2022, the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who are simultaneously in Russian colonies and pre-trial detention exceeded 100 for the first time. As of December 31, 2022, 113 people remain behind bars. (A year ago, this figure was 76 people; in December 2020, 44 people; in December 2019, exactly the same number was in jail - 44 people.)\nA total of 368 believers have been or remain behind bars since May 2017. In 2022, having served his sentence in full, having actually spent 5 years in a pre-trial detention center and a colony, the first convicted Jehovah's Witness, Dennis Christensen, was released and expelled from the country . In addition, Valentina Baranovskaya, the oldest believer at that time, who was sentenced to real imprisonment, was released from the colony on parole. While under investigation, the woman suffered a stroke. Her son, who was convicted for his faith with her, remains behind bars. As of December 31, 2022, there are still 19 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60 in prisons. The oldest of them, 71-year-old Boris Andreev from the village of Yaroslavsky (Primorye Territory), was sent to a pre-trial detention center in July 2022. 70-year-old Vilen Avanesov has been behind bars for more than 3.5 years.\nHow many searches have been conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses? Since the decision to liquidate registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations came into force, at least 1876 searches have been conducted in their homes. Of these, 203 searches were carried out in 40 settlements of Russia in 2022. (In 2019, the number of searches was 489 in 75 settlements, in 2020 - 447 in 81 settlements, in 2021 - 382 in 82 settlements.) The largest special operations against Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022 were carried out in Novorossiysk and 5 nearby villages (30 searches in 1 day), in Rybinsk (16), in Simferopol (16), in Chelyabinsk (13), in Novocherkassk (10). A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to privacy, personal and family secrets, honor, and good name.\nChronicle of the incursions into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022:\n16.01.2022 Gorno-Altaisk (Altai Republic): 5 searches carried out 01/28/2022 Krasnodar (Krasnodar Territory): 3 searches carried out 06.02.2022 Moskvoretskaya Sloboda (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted 13.02.2022 Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory): 13 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory): 9 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Zhuravskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 2 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Berezanskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 4 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Buzinovskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 02/13/2022 Novodonetska (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 18.02.2022 Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 25.02.2022 Pregradnaya (Karachay-Cherkess Republic): 1 search was conducted 04.03.2022 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 2 searches carried out 15.03.2022 Kostroma (Kostroma region): 4 searches carried out 16.03.2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted 03/18/2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 3 searches conducted 22.03.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 03/23/2022 Balakovo (Saratov Region): 8 searches carried out 23.03.2022 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 29.03.2022 Sosnovoborsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 4 searches carried out 06.04.2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 2 searches conducted 15.04.2022 Yoshkar-Ola (Republic of Mari El): 8 searches carried out 15.04.2022 Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod Region): 1 search was conducted 19.04.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 04/25/2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 26.04.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 3 searches carried out 05/19/2022 Yaroslavl (Yaroslavl Region): 2 searches carried out 05/24/2022 Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted 29.05.2022 Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 4 searches carried out 06/07/2022 Asha (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 14.06.2022 Baley (Trans-Baikal Territory): 4 searches carried out 16.06.2022 Kopeysk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 07.07.2022 Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug): 5 searches carried out 13.07.2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 16 searches carried out 07/27/2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 1 search was conducted 05.08.2022 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 1 search was conducted 11.08.2022 Novocherkassk (Rostov Region): 10 searches carried out 11.08.2022 Unecha (Bryansk region): 2 searches carried out 24.08.2022 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 2 searches carried out 08.09.2022 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 13 searches carried out 21.09.2022 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 2 searches carried out 28.09.2022 Krasnogvardeyskoye (Crimea): 11 searches carried out 06.10.2022 Yaroslavsky (Primorye Territory): 12 searches carried out 10/14/2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 1 search was conducted 17.10.2022 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka Territory): 4 searches carried out 20.10.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 3 searches carried out 10/27/2022 Krasnoznamensk (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted 09.11.2022 Ivanovo (Ivanovo Region): 3 searches carried out 11/18/2022 Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted 06.12.2022 Feodosiya (Crimea): 1 search was conducted 08.12.2022 Simferopol (Crimea): 16 searches carried out 14.12.2022 Izhevsk (Udmurt Republic): 2 searches carried out 26.12.2022 Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted What steps did the authorities take in 2022 to end the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? On February 22, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights published judgments in the cases of Cheprunov and Others v. Russia (74320/10) and Zharinova v. Russia (17715/12), in which it found that Russian authorities had violated the right to freedom of religion of Jehovah's Witnesses when they detained them while talking about the Bible or searched their homes.\nOn June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal the liquidation of all 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, the ban on their activities and the seizure of property; ban on printed publications and the official website. The judgment was made in the case of \"MRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia\" (No. 32401/10). Russia is obliged to pay the applicants 3 million euros for non-material damage, as well as to return the seized property or pay 59 million euros for it. Although Russia ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe in March 2022, in terms of international law, it is obliged to comply with the decisions of the ECHR issued before September 16, 2022, as the Secretary General of the Council of Europe reminded the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia in a letter dated December 9, 2022.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2022-12-23T10:57:06+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_4115e55caface6d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_ff56bb181df39e59.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_7172027fc39bb12.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_90ddfd148d6458f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/231054.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","echr","new-case","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","acquittal","sizo","search","suspended","fine","labor","appeal"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses are under the yoke of repression. Results of 2022","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that after the announcement of the guilty verdict, the believers were placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Blagoveshchensk. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221222","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Some circumstances knock the ground out from under my feet, but letters, prayers and songs strengthen me a lot,\" Yaroslav Kalin tells his lawyer. He is grateful to relatives, friends and fellow believers for letters of support.\nPreviously, the believer was kept in the basement, where he often caught cold, and now he is in a dry and warm solitary confinement cell. In general, Yaroslav's state of health is not worried, but he needs vitamins, which the employees of the pre-trial detention center do not transfer.\nAccording to the lawyer, Yaroslav misses his large family very much, especially his parents who live far away. He also worries about his friends: \"Right now I have no way to help others except to write them letters. That's the only thing I can do for now.\"\nThe case goes to the Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk. He will be heard by judge Andrei Slavinsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20221221","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["to-court","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is considering an appeal to extend the measure of restraint. The trip of believers from the pre-trial detention center to the court is a long journey in a stuffy, cramped and smoky paddy wagon.\nThe judge listens to the position of the defense and leaves the decision on the measure of restraint unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221221","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During his next visit to the lawyer, Sergey said that the investigator opened a new criminal case against him under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing the activities of an extremist organization).\nNow Sergey is being held with 7 other prisoners in an 8-bed cell. During two recent court hearings, Sergey saw his wife and daughter, which he was very happy about. He is also strengthened by letters of support from family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20221215","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Nikolayev in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Syzran. The lawyer notes that the believer is in a cheerful mood and has no health problems.\nThe administration treats Alexander well. He is kept in a special unit with one cellmate, he is allowed to walk. Upon admission to the pre-trial detention center, the Bible was confiscated from Aleksandr, but he has the New Testament and Psalms. Aleksandr regularly receives letters of support from friends and family, as well as from fellow believers from Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20221208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits three defendants who have been imprisoned in the Oryol pre-trial detention center for two years.\nArtur Putintsev says that he faced a serious shock: his 32-year-old younger brother died. In addition, Artur worries that the medical unit does not provide him with the necessary medicines, and also does not provide the necessary dental care.\nThere are three young people in the cell with Vladimir Melnik. All of them treat him with great respect. Before his departure, the cellmate presented Vladimir with a portrait of his wife, Irina, made by one of the prisoners from a photograph to order.\nDuring this time, Vladimir Piskarev has already changed several cameras. The administration of the pre-trial detention center regularly provides the believer with visits from his wife. Vladimir maintains a positive attitude. He says, \"With God, all things can be overcome.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20221207","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Bukin, Sergey Yuferov and Mikhail Burkov in the Blagoveshchensk pre-trial detention center. Many prisoners are ill, including Vladimir Bukin. Doctors give him medication, and he is gradually recovering. Vladimir has a good relationship with his cellmates. He receives letters of support and has his own Bible. A believer prepares for a court of appeal.\nSergey Yuferov also has a Bible, receives letters of support and feels well. Although all the prisoners in his cell are sick, preventive methods help him not to get infected. He is held in a 6-bed cell, where at the moment, including Sergey, there are 5 prisoners. The conditions are satisfactory. His cellmates treat him with respect.\nMikhail Burkov says that he is grateful to his friends for their letters, as they support him. Mikhail notes that he has minor health problems, and he has already asked for help. A difficult test for his well-being was also the fact that in the 4-bed cold cell, everyone except Mikhail smokes. However, his cellmates treat Mikhail with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20221207","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Mikhail Moish and Alexei Solnechny in the pre-trial detention center. Despite the fact that the accused have been detained for more than a year, they are in good emotional and physical condition. The conditions of detention of believers in the pre-trial detention center are satisfactory. Both are being held in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20221201","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the petition of Assistant Prosecutor Zhirnov to extend Yuri Yakovlev's stay in the pre-trial detention center for another 3 months. In his defense, the believer says: \"I carry out peaceful activities, try to teach people what is good and bring them closer to God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221125","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Alexander Seredkin in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that in the first days after the verdict he had the feeling that all this was not happening to him. He recalls the applause of fellow believers in the courtroom: \"Such support touched me deeply, strengthened me very much and gave me strength to endure a harsh sentence.\"\nUpon arrival at the pre-trial detention center, the believer was quarantined in a cell without repair. According to him, \"in the first two days I was shaking from the cold and I had to sleep in clothes.\" Two other people were held with him. One of them wondered how such an honest and kind person could be imprisoned: \"I will come home, I will tell everyone that I was sitting with an innocent person.\"\nNow the believer is in a cell with 11 prisoners. \"The microclimate in the cell is good, everyone is friendly,\" says Alexander. \"It's also cool in the cell, but there are warm clothes.\" Despite the difficult conditions of detention, he tries to maintain joy.\nAlready twice Alexander Seredkin was allowed a meeting with his wife. He is also supported by letters from fellow believers. At the time of the lawyer's visit, the believer had received 27 letters from different countries. He says that these letters are like welcome gifts to him, and he has not received so much in his entire life.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221124","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Viktor Zimovskiy in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that he has not yet received letters of support.\nVictor is being held in a 6-bed cell along with 4 prisoners. None of them smoke, which Victor is very happy about. The believer has a Bible. He has all the medicines, takes them as prescribed constantly, so he feels fine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20221122","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer notes that Konstantin Sannikov has a positive attitude in the pre-trial detention center, he has learned to \"take control\" of chronic diseases. His family was also able to negotiate with the management of the pre-trial detention center about the necessary treatment.\nKonstantin is kept in an eight-bed cell with 8 more prisoners, but he has his own place. His cellmates treat him with respect, and Konstantin also has good relations with the administration. He has a Bible. He has not yet received e-mails, since the censor has been on sick leave for more than 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221121","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Gromov in the pre-trial detention center of Kazan. According to the believer, the conditions of detention are normal. There are 10 people in the 8-bed cell, but Sergey has his own bed. Cellmates refer to him as \"you\" and call him \"Uncle Seryozha\". Relations with the staff of the detention center are also friendly.\nThe believer does not complain about his health, he remains calm. He has a Bible, he was given a copy in larger print.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20221121","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Astrakhan Regional Court upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of believers, reducing it by only 1 day - until April 26, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221118","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that after the verdict, Viktor Zimovskiy was taken to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Pyatigorsk. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-11-17T15:38:26+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20221117","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the announcement of the guilty verdict, Alexander Seredkin was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Novosibirsk. Letters of support to the believer can be sent by regular mail and through the FSIN-letter system.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221117","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believers are being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Amur Region, where they are awaiting an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20221114","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Natalya, Boris and Anatoliy in the pre-trial detention center. All three are in good physical and emotional condition.\nNataliya is being held in a double cell with another woman. There are 10 people in the cells of Boris and Anatoly. Believers say that the attitude on the part of cellmates and employees of the detention center is respectful - 71-year-old Boris is addressed by his first name and patronymic.\nAccording to the lawyer, after the arrest of peaceful believers in the village of Yaroslavsky, which is home to a little more than 8 thousand inhabitants, false information began to spread about the danger that allegedly emanated from Natalia Sharapova, Boris Andreev and Anatoly Lee, because of which the reputation of these peaceful and law-abiding citizens was seriously damaged.\nDuring the month of her stay in prison, Natalia has already received 200 letters of support, Boris and Anatoliy - about 100, for which the believers are very grateful. Letters help them not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221107","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits believers in SIZO-4 in Moscow.\nRoman Mareev is experiencing difficulties in receiving parcels, as there are long queues in the pre-trial detention center, and parcels delivered by mail are not issued for 10 days, which is why the products in them deteriorate.\nAt his request, Sergey Tolokonnikov was transferred to a cell where there is not much smoking.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221102","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Akhtuba District Court extends the period of detention of believers until April 27, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221101","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge extends Andrey's detention in the pre-trial detention center, and his wife Leysan and Tatyana Obizhestvit house arrest for another 3 months. Bochkarev has been in custody for more than 2 years and 9 months.\nDue to the illness of Judge Yuriy Arsenyuk, the hearing is chaired by Dinar Khabibullin.\nA lawyer visits Andrey Bochkarev in a pre-trial detention center in Kazan. He says that the conditions of detention are acceptable, there are 8 people in an 8-bed cell. The believer does not complain about his health. He reports that he has already received 10,700 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20221031","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a visit to the lawyer, it turns out that Nikolai is the fifth prisoner in a four-bed cell. One of the cellmates gave up his bed to the believer, while he sleeps on the floor. Nikolay says that the attitude on the part of the administration of the institution is normal, but it is cold in the pre-trial detention center, thin blankets.\nIn his youth, Nicholas suffered two serious head injuries, and against the background of what is happening, he often has headaches. In addition, the believer is struggling with the disease, but after being transferred from the temporary detention facility to the pre-trial detention center, he was left without the necessary medicines. In this regard, Voishchev appeals to the administration of the pre-trial detention center with an application for a medical examination.\nDespite the difficulties, Nicholas tries not to lose his presence of mind: \"In my life there were many trials, now also imprisonment. And I know it takes some time to get used to the new situation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2022-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20221025","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Maykop City Court places Nikolay Voishchev in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20221021","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Lee is also placed in SIZO-2 in Ussuriysk until October 28, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221013","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is taken to SIZO-2, and Natalia Sharapova is taken to SIZO-3 in Ussuriysk. It is known that they will spend at least 22 days under arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221007","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 6, 2022, in the village of Yaroslavskiy (Primorye Territory), searches were carried out at 12 addresses of those whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Two believers—Boris Andreyev, 70, and Nataliya Sharapova, 49,—were detained. The next day, the court sent them to a pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to preliminary information, Andreyev is suspected of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Sharapova of involvement in this activity (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt is known that they will spend at least 22 days in a pre-trial detention center. Some believers, including the elderly, were seized phones by law enforcement officers. After the searches, several people were interrogated.\nUpdate. It became known that on October 12, another believer from the village of Yaroslavskiy, Anatoliy Lee, 37, was arrested. He spent a day in a temporary detention center located in the neighboring village of Khorol, after which the court ruled to send him to a pre-trial detention center until October 28, 2022. Lee is another person involved in the criminal case initiated against Boris Andreyev and Nataliya Sharapova. This is already the 17th criminal case for faith in Primorye Territory. Twelve Jehovah's Witnesses from the region have been convicted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_d665666f0a5dd85a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_bd71719f669afc61.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_4aed7f4d320ebdad.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_67833fdad2999079.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101633.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"title":"The Court Placed a Man and a Woman in a Pre-Trial Detention Center After a Wave of Searches at Believers in Primorye Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"As of September 30, 2022, 95 men and 5 women professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are behind bars. Of these, 32 are in the penal colony and 68 in the pre-trial detention centers. Dmitriy Dolzhikov, arrested after a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk, became the 100th prisoner.\nOn May 13, 2020, A. Bryuzgin, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the RF Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region, opened a case against Dolzhikov. Two years later, the believer was detained in Chelyabinsk, and then placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Novosibirsk region. The search at Dmitriy's place of residence in Chelyabinsk was authorized by investigator A. Chepenko, who is known for the criminal persecution of believers in the Chelyabinsk region.\nDolzhikov is charged with Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, because he allegedly “intentionally, out of extremist motives, took part in the activities of a religious association . . . in the form of participation in religious meetings and meetings of an extremist organization, conducting conversations . . . demonstrations and watching educational videos.”\nWhile there are simultaneously 100 people in custody, another 249 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been to prisons and pre-trial detention centers, some of whom have spent more than five years behind bars. Information about these people, including their criminal prosecution history, can be found at jw-russia.org under \"Prisoners of Conscience\" using a filter system. A total of 643 people have been criminally persecuted for believing in Jehovah God.\nWhat is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is of concern to the international community. For example, on September 28, 2022, the OSCE held a conference in Poland to discuss religious freedom and protection of human rights. The speakers drew attention to the fact that \"Russia's actions against... Jehovah's Witnesses... include raids, arrests, long prison sentences, and probably torture.”\n","category":"analytics","date":"2022-09-30T16:15:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_6c45459f3b56b73d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_5f690ff17e43f63a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_48621369ed711b6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_76888d2fbe3dd170.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/301615.html","regions":["novosibirsk","chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","analytics","review","statistics","282.2-2","international-community"],"title":"The 100th Jehovah's Witness Has Been Sent Behind Bars in Russia: Dmitriy Dolzhikov, 44, Is in a Novosibirsk Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"The Kievsky District Court of Simferopol issues an order to detain Sergey Parfenovich until November 19, 2022. The believer is accused of \"committing an intentional grave crime of an extremist nature.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2022-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20220930","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer and a public defender visit Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov in a pre-trial detention center. Mareev is still being quarantined, and Tolokonnikov has already been transferred to a cell. Both believers feel normal and are not discouraged. Sergey Tolokonnikov reports that he is being held in a cell with 8 smoking prisoners, so he asks the administration to transfer him to another cell and hopes for a positive solution to this issue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220929","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mareev and Tolokonnikov are transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 5 \"Vodnik\" to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Bear\". They do not lose heart and are grateful for the support of friends and family. They can write letters to the new address.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220924","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolai Stepanov, convicted for his faith, was placed in pre-trial detention center-2 in the city of Vologda. There he will expect the continuation of the transfer to the place of serving the sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20220913","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Skvortsov in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that his physical and emotional condition is good, but his eyesight began to drop due to stress.\nSince his arrest, Aleksandr has changed 13 cells. In the one where he is now, there are 3 more people. Everyone has their own bed. The cell has a TV and a refrigerator, the food is satisfactory. Cellmates and the administration treat Skvortsov well. If possible, he maintains physical fitness: push-ups and tries to walk a lot.\nAlexander began to receive letters regularly. During the day, he has the opportunity to answer them. Cellmates are asked to read them interesting thoughts and riddles from letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220912","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Gukovsky City Court of the Rostov Region, all six defendants give their last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-09-12T00:51:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220912","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court places Dmitry Dolzhikov in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20220910","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 8, 2022, a raid on 13 houses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk took place — the security forces broke out the windows and doors of the apartments. One of the believers, Dmitriy Dolzhikov, was detained and taken 1,500 kilometers away to Novosibirsk, where he was taken into custody.\nThe searches in the houses of the believers began in the evening and continued until midnight, and video footage was taken. Some were detained and taken away for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, while others were given summons for the next morning. These events affected about 34 people in total.\nElectronic devices, storage media, bank cards, passports, religious literature and personal records were confiscated from believers. A large amount of personal savings was taken from one family.\nTwo of the families affected live in the same apartment block on the 3rd and 7th floors. The security forces broke in their flats through the windows. To do this, they descended on ropes from the roof of the house and knocked out the windows of the balcony doors. One of the believers was handcuffed and laid on the floor, he has been kept in this position in the cold for about half an hour.\nIn another dwelling, where a woman lives with her daughter, the security forces broke down the iron door without waiting for it to be opened voluntary. One of the women was in bed with a high temperature due to illness.\nOperational activities were held with the participation of employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. Sivulko and E. Kozlov. According to believers, investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksandr Chepenko, who initiated a wave of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk Region, was also present at the interrogation.\nTwo days later, on September 10, the court arrested Dmitriy Dolzhikov. He was placed in SIZO No. 1 in Novosibirsk.\nIn the Chelyabinsk Region, 11 11 people are already being persecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. Six of them received unjust convictions.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_6cb010ce65fb992e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_a6f4e1557df98c20.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_3caada376d82628f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_cbf118b6babd44f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/140838.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","violent-raid","interrogation","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Chelyabinsk, Special Forces Stormed the Apartments of Jehovah's Witnesses. Believer Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Arsen Avanesov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ulyanovsk region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-08-30T14:30:10+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220830","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the convicts were taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Saransk. Believers can send letters by regular mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220828","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of detention in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novocherkassk for 1 month and 25 days. At the courtroom, the believer is greeted with applause by 30 fellow believers who came to support her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20220817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extends the period of detention of a believer in the pre-trial detention center for another month - until September 18.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220817","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Novocherkassk, investigator of the Investigative Committee V.V. Bardakov initiates a criminal case against believers Gevorg Yeritsyan, Garegin Khachaturian and Lyubov Galitsyna. Immediately after that, at 6:00 a.m., the armed security forces conducted searches at 10 addresses, including the village of Hrushevskaya. They confiscate Bibles, electronic devices, money, and bank cards from believers. Then everyone is taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee for the city of Novocherkassk.\nDuring a search in one of the houses, the hostess experiences a fainting state, she is offered several times to call an ambulance. Her husband, who does not share her religious views, is exerted psychological pressure by law enforcement officers. In another case, the investigator refuses to issue the interrogation protocol, arguing that the interrogated can post it on the Internet.\nTwo men, Gevorg Yeritsyan and Garegin Khachaturyan, are taken into custody after search and interrogation. The court chooses a measure of restraint for them in the form of detention in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20220811","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning of August 11, 2022, in Novocherkassk (Rostov region), security forces conducted searches at 10 addresses, after which local believers were interrogated. The court placed two men, Garegin Khachaturyan, 55, and Gevorg Yeritsyan, 35, in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk for 2 months.\nThis is already the 11th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Rostov Region. The news is being added.\nUpdate. It became known that Lyubov Galitsyna, 66, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Returning from vacation, she found out that she had been summoned for interrogation. Anticipating a possible arrest, the believer took essentials and medicines with her. Senior investigator R. A. Bakhramov charged her under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and detained.\nThe Novocherkassk city court decided to send Galitsyna to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The woman was led to the courtroom and later to the paddy wagon to the applause of 30 fellow believers who came to support her.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/161428.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Local Jehovah's Witnesses in Novocherkassk. Two Believers Were Placed in a Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"The Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory once again extends Vitaliy Ushakov's detention. The believer intends to appeal this ruling.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After reviewing the case materials, Sean Pike, Eduard Sviridov and Aleksandr Rumyantsev are returned to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20220728","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Tolokonnikov in the pre-trial detention center. According to him, the believer \"intends to endure everything to the end and not lose joy at the same time.\"\nSergey has a Bible. He is in an 8-bed cell, but it contains 11 people, so the order of sleep is established among the prisoners: Sergey sleeps at night, and during the day another cellmate takes his place. The believer needs to be examined by an ophthalmologist and dentist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220728","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court takes into custody the third defendant in the case, Vladimir Moiseenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220722","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint to Andrey Glazov for one month.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220719","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in the pre-trial detention center. According to the defender, Konstantin's emotional state is good, but he has some problems with his physical health. In addition, he misses his family, whom he has not seen since his arrest, as he is not allowed visits and phone calls.\nOver the past couple of months, the conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center have become worse. The cells are overcrowded: they are designed for 8 people, but sometimes they contain up to 15 people. Konstantin does not have his own bed. Due to health problems, he also has difficulty eating.\nThe believer is not discouraged, because he has the opportunity to read the Bible, and his friends also support him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220718","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Savyolovsky District Court, an appeal hearing on the extension of the preventive measure is being held via video conferencing with the Moscow City Court. Sergey Tolokonnikov tells the court about the overcrowding of the pre-trial detention center, where prisoners are forced to sleep in turns. The court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov, and for Anatoly Marunov under house arrest.\nThe lawyer asks to postpone the hearing on the consideration of the criminal case on the merits of the charge in order to familiarize himself with the materials and prepare for the defense. The meeting was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220718","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects all the motions filed at the previous hearing.\nThe issue of extending the measure of restraint for the defendants is being considered. The defense provides positive characteristics of the defendants, as well as a number of significant arguments, including the text of the speech of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Lebedev (in which he called on judges to use preventive measures alternative to detention more often). Despite this, Judge Natalia Batura once again extends the measure of restraint for three months, until 01.11.2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220701","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","torture-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valeriy Tibiy in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region. The believer says that the conditions of his detention are satisfactory. It has its own bunk and bedside table. Together with Valery, there are 15 other people in the cell. Despite his health difficulties, he maintains a positive attitude. Tibius has his own copy of the Bible. Twice a week, letters are handed to him, about 100 pieces at a time. Many of them are colorfully illustrated. Prisoners look at them with pleasure, often reading letters throughout the cell.\nOn the same day, the lawyer visits Aleksandr Skvortsov in pre-trial detention center No. 5 in the Rostov region. The believer says that during 2 months of imprisonment in the Taganrog pre-trial detention center he was in solitary confinement. His state of health is satisfactory. Alexander is kept in a cell with 6 other prisoners, he is rarely taken out for walks. According to him, \"the food in the new place is much better than it was in Taganrog.\" His cellmates treat him with respect. Alexander has a Bible. He receives letters of support. In prison, he began to write poetry.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220615","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Lyudmila Shchekoldina in SIZO-1 in Krasnodar. She doesn't feel well. The conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center are good, the cell is clean, but there are only 12 beds for 13 people, so Lyudmila has to sleep on a mattress on the floor. She is going to write a petition to the administration for the provision of a bed.\nLyudmila's relationship with her cellmates is good, she has the opportunity to read the Bible from the library. The believer receives so many letters of support that she does not have time to answer them.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220614","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believers sentenced to a real term were taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Trans-Baikal Territory, located in Chita.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220608","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 6, 2022, Marina Kuklina, judge of the Central District Court of Chita, sentenced Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev to 6.5 years, and Igor Mamalimov to 6 years in prison, they were taken into custody. Serhiy Kirilyuk received a 6-year suspended sentence.\nFor Mamalimov and Kirilyuk, the prosecutor requested 6 years of suspended sentence, for Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev—7 years of real imprisonment, although there are no victims and evidence of crimes against the state and the individual in the case. Believers resolutely deny the guilt of extremism, the verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe criminal case was initiated on January 20, 2020. Six months earlier, the Chita believers noticed that they were being followed, and while relaxing by the river, they discovered tracking devices and hidden audio recordings. On February 10, 2020, FSB officers conducted 50 searches in Chita and other settlements in Transbaikalia. The security forces invaded the homes of the elderly, the disabled, large families and other believers. The search in the house of Sergey Kirilyuk took place in front of his wife, who has a group II disability, and a minor child. During the raid, Vadim Kutsenko was strangled and tortured with a stun gun. He, as well as Vladimir Ermolaev, was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nIn total, 8 believers were suspected of organizing extremist activities, but in January 2021, charges were dropped against Vadim Kutsenko, Aleksey Loskutov, Georgiy Senotrusov and Pavel Mamalimov due to the lack of corpus delicti. The Investigative Committee for the Trans-Baikal Territory investigated the case against Ermolaev, Kirilyuk, Putintsev and Igor Mamalimov for 1 year and 1 month. Then it was taken to court.\nAll four defendants were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, their bank accounts were blocked. This had a particularly negative impact on the family of Igor Mamalimov, the father of three young children, who is the only breadwinner despite poor health. His wife, Nataliya, does not work due to childcare. Addressing the court, the believer said : “In my heart there is no resentment against anyone who accuses me, and even in my thoughts I do not hold malice against them. Deep down, I don't feel any hatred.\"\nVladimir Ermolaev spent 3 days in a temporary detention center and 50 days under house arrest, after which the investigator took a written undertaking not to leave him. Sergey Kirilyuk spent 5 days in a temporary detention center and was also released on bail. As a result, all four believers remained under house arrest for about 2.5 years.\nSpeaking in court, Sergey Kirilyuk said that thanks to his faith, he changed his way of life: “It was the love of God that prompted me [to start] showing love and care for my wife and children.” Vladimir Ermolaev emphasized in his last plea: “Even if I am convicted, I will not stop believing in Jehovah God.” Aleksandr Putintsev takes the same position: “I am not a fanatic, I am a living person, and I have serious health problems. But it is more important for me to remain faithful to God—this is the meaning of my life.”\nThis is the first conviction under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Trans-Baikal Territory.\nAt the PACE winter session held in Strasbourg in January 2022, the Plenipotentiary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe touched upon the topic of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Referring to the accusation of believers of extremism, she noted: “I think it is clear that this accusation is absurd, but the fact is that several hundred Jehovah’s Witnesses have been arrested and imprisoned simply for practicing their faith.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-06T16:26:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_79fbe6765397cec4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_a2723ee7cd1a0632.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_34ddca0cacf4adf4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_5e7042e2f4f64c5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/061626.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","sentence","families"],"title":"A Chita Court Sentenced Three Jehovah's Witnesses to Sentences Ranging From Six to Six-and-a-Half Years in Prison; Another Received a Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Ledyaykin in the pre-trial detention center. The believer is in a double cell with another prisoner. Andrey's relations with his cellmate and the administration are normal. Sometimes there are bouts of chronic disease (high blood pressure), which is why you have to take medication.\nAndrey says that because of the arrest he had to postpone the wedding, and now he is forced to communicate with his bride only by correspondence. However, letters from her and from friends serve as a great support to him. He has already received about 600 letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220603","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeny Korotun in SIZO-1 in Tomsk. The believer is kept in cold solitary confinement.\nEugene describes his physical condition as \"generally good, only occasional severe headaches.\" He has a heart condition, but lately there have been no special complaints. Korotun says, \"My biggest worry is that I don't see—and won't see for a long time—how my son is growing. And the years that I could have spent with my family cannot be returned...\"\nIn the pre-trial detention center, Yevgeniy is treated with respect. He has a Bible and receives a large number of letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220603","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The place of detention of Andrey Vlasov becomes known: Novokuznetsk, pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Kemerovo region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-06-01T14:20:43+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220601","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Tibiy is taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-05-26T08:53:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220526","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After two days in the detention center (Vyselki village), Lyudmila Shchekoldina is transferred to the Krasnodar pre-trial detention center, located at 42 Voronezhskaya Street.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220526","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 19, 2022, Anton Kokovin, a 31-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was detained on the main street of Yaroslavl. After the search and interrogation, the believer was given a written undertaking not to leave the place. On this day, operatives searched at least 3 dwellings. In the apartment of his friends, where Anton Kokovin was staying, law enforcement officers conducted a search on the order of the senior detective of the FSB of Russia in the Yaroslavl region, Major M.A. Morenov. In the absence of the owners, the security forces confiscated system units, laptops and hard drives that did not belong to the believer.\nThe second search took place at Anton Kokovin's place of residence. All electronic devices were also confiscated from him. After that, the man was taken to the investigative department for the Yaroslavl region for interrogation. There, the investigator informed Kokovin that he was suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and a criminal case was initiated against him.\nThe security forces entered the house of another believer through the fence, as no one was at home. The information is being specified.\nUpdate. It became known that on May 18, a believer from Yaroslavl, 50, received a summons for interrogation as a witness to the investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksandr Grigoryev. Since the document did not indicate what case the call was connected with, the believer refused to come. A few days later, he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. In Yaroslavl, 4 more Jehovah's Witnesses, including a woman, are persecuted for their faith. Their case is at the stage of preliminary investigation.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-05-24T11:31:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_bdd51c5259a39c7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_21210f6686fe4bf.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_2d1f6940147243e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_b36e4246546e0560.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/241131.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","recognizance-agreement","sizo","282.2-2"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched in Yaroslavl. A Criminal Case Has Been Initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Taganrog City Court Nikolay Smirnov decides to send Valery Tibiy to custody for 19 days, until June 7, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220519","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Glazov is detained and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Yaroslavl region for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220519","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in SIZO-1 in Kazan. His state of health is satisfactory, there are no complaints.\nKonstantin is kept in an 8-bed cell with 11 prisoners, he has his own bed. The believer has developed good relations with his cellmates.\nThe believer has a Bible. He notes that letters began to arrive in smaller numbers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220504","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Ivanov Evgeny, Ivanova Olga, Klikunov Sergey and Diarov Rustam were transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Makhachkala to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Astrakhan for further transfer to the place of serving their sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220429","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anna Safronova, convicted for her faith, has been transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Narimanov to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Makhachkala, where the believer will stay temporarily until she arrives at the place of serving her sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220429","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Danil Suvorov in custody. He says that the emotional and physical condition of the believer is good. Danil is in a special unit, the cell is warm and clean, the food is satisfactory. There are three more people with the believer, with whom he has friendly relations.\nPeriodically, Danil is transported from the Armavir pre-trial detention center to the Sochi temporary detention center to ensure his participation in the investigation. The road takes more than 8 hours, he does not tolerate such crossings. Relatives gave him pills for motion sickness.\nDanil says that he does not feel any pressure from the administration or the investigation. He is regularly given parcels and letters, and is allowed to use the Bible.\nThe investigator acquaints Danil and his lawyer with the conclusions of experts: psychological-linguistic, religious, and computer-technical. In one of the examinations, 4 videos of a Bible study made by an embedded agent were examined. According to the expert's conclusions, \"nothing extremist was found.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220424","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Konstantin Samsonov is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-04-22T15:28:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220422","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeniy Plotnikov in SIZO-1 in Yoshkar-Ola. The condition of the believer is satisfactory, he does not lose heart.\nYevgeniy is quarantined in solitary confinement, he is allowed to go for walks inside the institution. During the first week in the pre-trial detention center, Plotnikov received 15 letters, which surprised the staff. One of the guards even asked: \"Are all these letters for you?\" The Bible has not yet been provided to Eugene.\nThe believer says that at first the cellmates behaved aggressively. But after he explained that he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and was arrested for his faith under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, they began to treat him with understanding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220422","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 15, 2022, nine dwellings of Jehovah's Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola and the village of Silikatny (Mari El), as well as in Nizhny Novgorod, were searched. They affected at least 15 people, including an 83-year-old woman. The security forces detained 39-year-old Yevgeniy Plotnikov. He was sent to a detention center.\nSearches of peaceful believers began in the morning and lasted from 6 to 8 hours. The security forces were looking for \"extremist literature and computer and other equipment, through which communication was carried out with unidentified persons during worship.\" Electronic devices, bank cards, storage media, notepads and postcards were confiscated.\nP. Betkanov, the FSB investigator for the Republic of Mari El, summoned the believers for interrogation. Some subpoenas do not indicate the investigating body, the interrogating officer and the status of the summoned citizens.\nAs part of the same criminal case in Nizhny Novgorod, a search was carried out at the home of a young family with a newborn child, who had recently moved from Yoshkar-Ola to live with their parents. The raid was led by investigator Mikhail Zaulin and detective Vyacheslav Kalistov. The security forces behaved rudely and exerted psychological pressure, forcing the believers to incriminate themselves. The young father was summoned for interrogation in Yoshkar-Ola, 350 km from home.\nUpdate. On April 17, 2022, A. Nikolayev, judge of the Yoshkar-Ola City Court of the Republic of Mari El, placed Yevgeniy Plotnikov in custody for two months. It became known that he is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Yoshkar-Ola. Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the FSIN-letter system. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-04-19T13:28:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/191328.html","regions":["mari-el","nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses' Homes Were Searched in Mari El, Including the Home of an 83-Year-Old Woman. One Believer Was Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"The judge of the Yoshkar-Ola city court, Alexander Nikolaev, chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of detention for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220417","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believer is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Adygea in the village of Tlyustenkhabl.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-04-07T16:32:06+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220407","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in SIZO-1 in Kazan. The believer reports serious health problems.\nHe is being held in a cell with 8 inmates, now he has his permanent place and the ability to respond to letters of support. Konstantin has good relations with his cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220405","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov is returned to the Vodnik pre-trial detention center No. 5 on Vyborgskaya Street in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220404","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valery Rabota in SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk. According to the lawyer, his health and mood are generally positive, but sometimes he is worried about exacerbations of chronic diseases. Recently, Valeriy was transferred to a 4-bed cell. He had a good and respectful relationship with his cellmates. He receives parcels and parcels, he also has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220331","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sosnovoborsk City Court decides to detain Yuriy Yakovlev for two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Melnik, Artur Putintsev and Vladimir Piskarev in the pre-trial detention center. All three report that they are in satisfactory condition. Believers receive letters of support and have the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220329","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 29, 2022, in the city of Sosnovoborsk, 40 km from Krasnoyarsk, searches and interrogations were carried out in 5 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened for faith against 55-year-old Yuri Yakovlev.\nYakovlev is accused of a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation \"on the fact of organizing the activities of a religious association ... in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\" The investigation suspects the believer of \"carrying out activities to coordinate the preaching activities of persons professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" On March 30, the Sosnovoborsk City Court decided to detain this peaceful man for 2 months.\nDuring the searches, the security forces seized laptops, hard drives, and other equipment, as well as photographs, letters, and various papers from believers.\nUpdate. Yuriy Yakovlev\u0026rsquo;s case is being conducted by the investigator of the Berezovsky District of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Captain of Justice Y. V. Prannichuk. The believer is in pre-trial detention center No. 6, located in Sosnovoborsk. He can receive letters through the FSIN-Letter system or by regular mail. Address: Yakovlev Yuriy Aleksandrovich, born 1966, SIZO No 6 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, ul. Proizvodstvennaya zona, korp. 1, g. Sosnovoborsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia, 662500. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/071053.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sosnovoborsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Were Searched; One of the Believers Is Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"The court chooses Mavrin, Bogatova, Fomashin, Murych and Tyurin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. They are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220325","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Maykop City Court Alexander Sereda satisfies the petition of the investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Adygea, Murat Shnakhov, to detain Saparov until May 22, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220324","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It is known about at least five searches, which took place in Balakovo on the evening of March 23, 2022. Detained were Aleksey Bogatov, 61, Vladimir Mavrin, 59, Sergey Tyurin, 27, Yevgeniy Fomashin, 44, and Oleg Yandutov, 52. Nothing is known about the alleged crime or the measure of restraint.\nUpdate. According to updated data, searches took place at 8 addresses of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and affected a total of 14 people. Oleg Yandutov is at large, while another believer, 30-year-old Andrey Murych, has been detained. As a result, five believers from Balakovo were placed in a temporary detention facility. On March 25, 2022, the court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. They are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region. It is known that there is at least one FSB investigator in the investigation team. Law enforcement officers in Balakovo resorted to falsifying evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses before: right under the surveillance cameras a man, feigning interest in the Bible, planted a banned book on believers, and after that the law enforcement officers raided the building (see video from 00:02:20).\nAll the searches took place in the evening, while the worshippers were talking to each other via video-conferencing. The law enforcement officers entered one family under the guise of checking the meter readings. All the previous week the believers had been spying on them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_947dc7e0f5f68c90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_73c0f0de456d043.jpg","webp":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_8aa4f932f69f3d33.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_f0775ec321e7e27e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/251036.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"A Series of Searches of Believers Took Place in the Town of Balakovo. Five Men Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On the night of March 23, 2022, a 40-year-old resident of the city of Maykop, Nikolai Saparov, was detained at the Mineralnye Vody airport. Later, the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\nAfter Saparov was detained, his wife and underage daughter travelled home alone. The same night, Saparov's home was searched and he was taken there accompanied by investigator Murat Shnakhov. The law enforcers confiscated electronic devices from the family. After being detained, Saparov is now in the temporary detention facility on Proletarskaya Street in Maykop.\nAnother of Jehovah's Witnesses from Maykop found his name on the Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists. This is 46-year-old Georgiy Godizov, who is outside Russia with his wife and two minor children. Georgiy Godizov is a prominent Adygeya scientist-archaeologist, head of the scientific department of one of the large museums, a specialist in the field of freedom of conscience.\nAbout a year ago, mass searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Maykop, and a criminal case was opened against Inver Siyukhov. He is accused of organizing and continuing the activities of a banned religious organization. Since mid-April 2021, Inver Siyukhov has been in a pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-03-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_3dd4f75521370e17.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_ec41d7a35805223.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_43f35cb9a10562c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_862f2f0ef78dc89f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/281129.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","sizo","ivs","rosfinmonitoring","minors","282.2-1"],"title":"A New Criminal Case Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Adygea. Nikolay Saparov, Father of a Minor Child, Was Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"Rustam Diarov is being transferred to SIZO-1 in Makhachkala, where other convicts in the case were previously transferred: Yevgeny and Olga Ivanov and Sergey Klikunov. Apparently, staying in this institution is temporary for believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220321","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Rakhmatullina satisfies the investigator's request and chooses a measure of restraint for Gromov in the form of detention until May 15, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20220317","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Ivanov and Sergey Klikunov leave SIZO-1 of Astrakhan, Olga Ivanova leaves SIZO-2 of Narimanov. They are transferred to one of the pre-trial detention centers of the Republic of Dagestan. The exact whereabouts of the believers are being clarified.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220311","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Temirbulatov has again been transferred to SIZO-1 in Moscow, known as \"Matrosskaya Tishina\". He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220307","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory Karnaukh T.V. chooses a measure of restraint for Valery Rabota in the form of detention until 04/30/2022. Valery objects to the measure of restraint, explaining that \"the investigator said that after the search and testimony he would be released home, but after he took advantage of the provision of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he was informed that he would be detained because he did not want to cooperate.\" The suspect's lawyer expresses confidence that \"the very fact of choosing a measure of restraint is used by the investigator not as a measure of restraint, but as a measure of intimidation, since he refused to testify against himself and his relatives.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220305","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kozlov A.A. requests a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Valery Rabota until 01.05.2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220304","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 3, 2022, at least 2 families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the Knyaz-Volkonsky rural settlement (Khabarovsk Territory). Valeriy Rabota was detained and on March 6, by a court decision, was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nA search was conducted in the house of Valeriy, 60, and his wife Elvira, during which electronic devices, various translations of the Bible, personal notes, video cassettes, a camera and a video camera were seized.\nAfter the search, the spouses were taken to the investigative department for the Industrial District of Khabarovsk for interrogation. Valeriy and Elvira took advantage of the right guaranteed by Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation not to testify against themselves. Then Valeriy Rabota was detained and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nEarlier in the Khabarovsk Territory, criminal cases had already been opened against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, one of whom, unfortunately, died in the hospital during the trial.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_d665666f0a5dd85a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_bd71719f669afc61.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_4aed7f4d320ebdad.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_67833fdad2999079.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/071359.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","elderly"],"title":"Searches Took Place in the Khabarovsk Territory. A Believer, 60, Was Detained and Placed in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"Court hearings are held to decide on the extension of the measure of restraint. The court decides to keep Morozov and Usanov in custody. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2022-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20220223","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the lawyer, transcripts of divine services are read out within 4.5 hours, at which they discussed how to tactfully and respectfully communicate with representatives of other religions, how to show love for others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220222","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin in SIZO-1 in Kazan. The believer feels better, he is kept in an 8-bed cell with 9 prisoners, so he does not have his own permanent bed yet.\nIn connection with the state of health of Sannikov, the lawyer submits an application addressed to the head of the pre-trial detention center for an examination and consultation with a doctor, as well as for the transfer of the believer to a special diet.\nSannikov has his own copy of the Bible and regularly receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220216","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Alexander Kalchevsky, elects Vitaly Ushakov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, until April 11 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220215","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Roman and Sergey in the Vodnik pre-trial detention center. According to him, the believers are in good emotional and physical condition. They do exercises and go to the gym. Each of them has a Bible. Roman is allowed to call his disabled mother, for whom he is very worried.\nThere are 12 people in the same cell with Mareev. Inmates appreciate the kindness of Roman, who \"cooks soup for everyone in a ten-liter bucket.\" On one occasion, there were no empty seats in the cell, and a prisoner who knew Jehovah's Witnesses gave up his seat to Roman.\nMareev and Tolokonnikov are helped not to lose heart by letters from fellow believers from around the world. Roman has already received 1470 letters from 58 countries, Sergey - more than 1200.\nThe attitude of the cellmates and employees of the detention center towards Roman and Sergey is good. They say about them: \"You are not like other criminals! What are you doing here?\"\nMareev and Tolokonnikov are being held in the same detention facility together with Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov, who are involved in a similar case for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anna Safronova is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Astrakhan region in the city of Narimanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-02-10T11:41:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220210","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksey Ershov is awaiting an appeal in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20220209","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Andrey Kolesnichenko is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Tomsk. Letters of support can be sent by both regular mail and e-mail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220209","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held in the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow.\nJudge Sergey Bazarov extends the period of detention of believers for another six months, until July 26, 2022.\nThe court, instead of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, considers and rejects the petition of the defenders to transfer the criminal case from the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow to another court. The petition is motivated by the presence of circumstances that may cast doubt on the objectivity and impartiality of the court in making a decision on the case. In addition, the court refuses to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, and also postpones the issue of inadmissibility of evidence obtained in violation of the law.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220207","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Inver in the pre-trial detention center at colony No. 1 in the Republic of Adygea. The believer is kept in a 4-bed cell with another prisoner. The lawyer reports that Inver recently suffered a serious respiratory illness. The administration of the detention center stopped sending him letters sent by his friends and acquaintances. Inver says that court hearings were postponed several times due to repairs in the Maykop temporary detention facility, where he cannot be transferred for the duration of the hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220128","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr arrives at SIZO-2 Syzran Central.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20220123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Maxim Beltikov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Krasnodar.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-01-20T16:45:27+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220120","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Igor Popov in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Irkutsk. The believer is kept in solitary confinement. He manages to read the New Testament, which was given to him in the library of the pre-trial detention center, as well as to keep himself in good physical shape. Popov tries to maintain a positive attitude. During the time spent behind bars, Igor received about 150 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20220120","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexander Nikolaev is being transferred from the pre-trial detention center in Novorossiysk. In a letter to his wife, he says: \"So far, the final destination is Samara.\" It is more than 1600 kilometers from his home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20220119","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Denis Sarazhakov in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Irkutsk. The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude, despite the deterioration of his health, caused, among other things, by the conditions of his detention. Sarazhakov is in solitary confinement in a poorly lit basement. It blows from the window, so at night it is cold in the cell, and the mattress is so thin that Denis has to put letters under it (during his time in custody, the believer received about 200 letters of support). Sarazhakov plans to appeal to the administration of the pre-trial detention center with a request to visit a doctor, as well as improve the conditions of detention.\nThe believer has the opportunity to read the New Testament given to him in the library of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20220118","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolay Vasilyev was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Samara region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-01-10T13:29:35+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20220110","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the fact that Danielyan has a permanent place of residence, a family and a small child, investigator Ivensky insists on the detention of the believer. He believes that Aram Danielyan can hide from the investigation or destroy material evidence if a milder measure of restraint is chosen.\nThe Samara District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Danielyan in the form of detention until February 14, 2022. He is placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-01-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20220107","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Korotun arrived at SIZO-1 in Novosibirsk. There he is awaiting transfer to correctional colony No. 13 of Nizhny Tagil (Sverdlovsk region).\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220101","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov are being placed in pre-trial detention center No. 5 Vodnik for the third time.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211230","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing is held in the Solnechny District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory.\nProsecutor Shcherbakov demands to change the measure of restraint for a believer to imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center. According to the prosecution, Boris \"systematically violated the execution of the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\"\nThe lawyer and the defendant deny the violation of the regime, referring to the malfunction of the technical equipment that tracked Yagovitov's movements.\nNevertheless, Judge Pavel Nesterov changes the measure of restraint to detention for a period of 5 months and 9 days, that is, until June 7, 2022. The believer is placed in SIZO-2 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-12-29T08:58:59+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20211229","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Rumyantsev in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow. The believer feels good. During his stay in this pre-trial detention center, he was placed in three different cells. He is now in a four-bed cell.\nRumyantsev regularly receives parcels from friends with everything he needs, including food. He has his own copy of the Bible, and he receives many letters from fellow believers from Russia and other countries.\nOne of the difficulties is the inability to see their mother, as the new investigator in the case has not yet given them visits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211228","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in SIZO-1 in the Republic of Tatarstan. The believer feels satisfied. He was forced to seek medical help to confirm the diagnosis, but the results of the examination are not given to him.\nSome time ago, Konstantin was transferred to another cell. The conditions there are worse, since there are 12 prisoners for 8 beds. They show respect for the believer and give him the opportunity to get enough sleep: he sleeps at night, and gives up his place during the day. Now walks take place in the courtyard, where there is sports equipment, which allows Konstantin to do physical exercises.\nThe believer has a copy of the Bible. He also reports that he now receives almost all the products and letters that his family and friends give him. However, he never received permission to visit his wife and telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211224","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 15, 2021, in Samara, security forces searched 10 homes of local residents believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses and interrogated 16 people. Denis Kuzyanin, Sergey Palasenko and Nikolay Vasilyev were detained, and on December 16, the Samara District Court arrested them for 2 months.\nIn some cases, having burst into a dwelling, law enforcement officers behaved rudely and used violence. A 23-year-old believer said that in response to his refusal to provide the password for his laptop, the security forces began putting a heated kettle on his hands and pouring hot water on his arms, legs and neck until witnesses came. The man was forced to lie on the floor for several hours. In addition, he was forced to sign the protocol, using brute physical force against him. The believer was threatened with long prison terms, physical violence and further torture. The search lasted about 7 hours, then he was taken to the FSB department for questioning. The believer was treated with respect there.\nUpdate. At 6:20 am, the security forces broke down the door of the apartment where IT specialist Nikolay Vasiliyev and two of his fellow believers live. According to the believer, there were at least 8 people who broke into the house together with the FSB investigator. One of the security officers - in uniform and mask - took out a pistol and, pointing it at the residents, ordered them to lie down on the floor. When the believer complied with the order, the law enforcement officer hit him hard on the inside of the thigh with a boot, so that he left a hematoma on Nikolay\u0026rsquo;s body. He was handcuffed, forced to his knees and, by turning on the video, ordered to read aloud the search warrant. Then the believer received several blows to the head. During the beating, he fell and hit his forehead on the edge of the table, after which he was photographed. In another case, the search took place early in the morning. At 6:20 riot policemen came to the communal apartment where the spouses — Jehovah's Witnesses live. FSB captain Sergey Smolin conducted a search as part of a criminal case against Palasenko, Kuzyanin and Vasilyev, which was initiated the day before. The spouses were ordered to put their phones on a table in the center of the room, recorded all incoming calls and were asked to answer them. The investigator showed the spouses screenshots taken during the video conferences, and also convinced them that law enforcement officers read the correspondence of believers in the Viber messenger in real time. The search of the house and car of the couple lasted 7 hours, after which they were taken to the FSB department, where they were interrogated separately from each other.\nOne of the searches took place in a family with a small child who was treated to candy by police officers.\nThe Samara Region has become the 70th region of Russia where criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses (according to the Constitution, there are 85 subjects in Russia in total).\nDespite the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, law enforcement officers continue to prosecute civilians for practicing their religion, ignoring the fact that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not constitute a crime in themselves.\n","category":"crime","date":"2021-12-21T15:02:25+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_a40cecf496601106.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_59b3c42f7ba1668c.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_3fcbebbe31916c7c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_ec97b38ee75f388c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/211502.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","sizo","interrogation","torture"],"title":"A Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Samara. Three Were Sent to a Pre-Trial Detention Center, One Reported Torture During a Search","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Denis Kuzyanin and Sergey Polosenko in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Samara region. Both believers are in quarantine. Denis reports that he notices signs of a cold, as it is cold in the cell, and he has to sleep without a mattress. He does not have a Bible yet, and the believer has not yet received a letter of support.\nSergei Polosenko is kept in a three-bed cell, where there are four prisoners, so he sleeps on the table. He has the necessary medicines as well as a Bible.\nSergey Polosenko is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211221","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Kuzyanin and Sergey Polosenko are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Samara region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211218","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Samara District Court chooses a measure of restraint for believers in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211216","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Skvortsov in the pre-trial detention center. The physical and emotional condition of the believer is good.\nWhen Aleksandr was admitted to the pre-trial detention center, he was quarantined in a dirty cell with cockroaches and mice. But now he is kept in a clean 4-bed cell. The believer has a place to sleep, bed linen. They promise to replace the old mattress. The food is satisfactory.\nAccording to Skvortsov, there is no Bible in the library of the pre-trial detention center. Alexander regularly receives letters. One of them, from his wife Larisa, he read to his cellmates. They were impressed by their warm relationship. Cellmates are surprised that \"they are imprisoned for their faith.\"\nThe believer says that during the execution of the detention protocol, a bill of 1000 rubles was found in his possession. At Alexander's request, law enforcement officers did not seize it, but personally handed it over to his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20211216","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Okhapkin in the pre-trial detention center. The defendant's state of health is good, he has all the necessary medicines for rehabilitation after covid. The believer is kept in a cell alone, he has a Bible from the library of the pre-trial detention center, he receives many letters from fellow believers from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211208","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint for Alexander Skvortsov in the form of detention. The believer is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Taganrog.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20211208","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning of December 7, 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the port city of Taganrog. Detained Aleksandr Skvortsov is subjected to criminal prosecution for his faith again: he was convicted in the high-profile “Case of 16”.\nA group of 8 law enforcement officers came to 59-year-old Aleksandr Skvortsov. When the believer opened the gate, two masked security forces threw him to the pavement. The search lasted 2.5 hours, after which Skvortsov's country house was searched. The believer was arrested. Soon the court decided to place him to a detention center.\nIn addition to Aleksandr Skvortsov, three other men who were previously convicted for their faith in the \"Case of 16\" were among the victims. In total, investigative actions were carried out at 14 addresses, where more than 30 people live, whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 15 of them were interrogated at the FSB, the Internal Affairs Directorate, the 1st and 2nd police stations in Taganrog. Among the victims was a disabled woman of group III. One of the believers had a hypertensive crisis due to stress. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, postcards and photographs from citizens. Several people were taken in for questioning.\nDuring the searches, the security forces behaved differently: in some cases, they damaged property, smoked and used foul language. In others, they behaved politely, tactfully, neatly putting things in their place.\nTo spouses living with an elderly mother, armed security forces broke into the yard, breaking the gate. With shouts of \"everyone on the floor!\" they twisted the hands of the head of the family and knocked him down. Falling, the man hit his head. The riot policeman put the muzzle of a machine gun to the believer and sat on his back. The search for 5 hours was carried out by 11 people. According to the victims, the security forces “turned everything upside down, tore off the wallpaper and broke the furniture.” The believers were kept barefoot in a house with an open door and an attic. They were threatened with arrest and \"hard labor in Siberia.\" Because of what was happening, a 70-year-old woman felt bad and the security forces called an ambulance for her. Although the head of the family had recently undergone heart surgery, he was not allowed to take medicine for a long time. After the search, the man was taken under escort for interrogation to the FSB building, kneeling on the floor of the car. According to the believer, the investigator exerted psychological pressure on him, citing convictions against Jehovah's Witnesses in Rostov-on-Don.\nUpdate. On May 18, 2022, 45-year-old Valeriy Tibiy, who was subjected to a search in December 2021, was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Shortly before this, the believer found his name on the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. It is expected that on May 19 the court will choose a measure of restraint for him. After the search, another married couple was taken for interrogation to the police station, where they were kept in the basement for some time. The couple recall that the security forces, among other things, threatened to \"leave them in this basement where no one would find them\" if they did not admit that they were Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogation lasted a total of 2 hours.\nIn the FSB building, the interrogations were conducted by Major Roman Nesterenko, who had previously communicated with local believers, pretending to be interested in the Bible, and kept secret recordings of conversations on spiritual topics. He asked believers about Aleksandr Skvortsov. During interrogations, the victims used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nDescribing the experience, one of the believers shared: “It is very unpleasant and humiliating that we, law-abiding citizens, have been made criminals and break into our homes without dawn. Then it’s scary to live in your own house.” Despite everything, believers try to remain calm and positive.\nReligious repressions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog have been going on for more than 10 years. In March 2021, Aleksandr Skvortsov already had a search, after which he discovered a tracking device.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-12-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/081555.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs","sizo"],"title":"Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Taganrog. Believers Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov is visited by a lawyer. He reports that the conditions in the pre-trial detention center where Andrey is being held are bad: the cell is located in a poorly lit basement, there are no sewer holes in it, and rats run around the cell.\nThe believer is preparing to file a cassation appeal, as well as a petition to mitigate the conditions of serving the sentence.\nThe acting head of the pre-trial detention center informs the lawyer that Stupnikov was taken to the pre-trial detention center in the Kirov region by mistake, and at the moment the question of which colony he will be transferred to is being decided.\nAndrey has the opportunity to call his wife. He tries to take care of her and morally support her.\nThe believer has a pocket-sized New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20211205","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey has a meeting with his wife in SIZO-1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Kirov region, where he is on his way to the place of serving his sentence. Andrey's wife is concerned that the location of the colony is still unknown, and the detention of her husband in the pre-trial detention center is delayed indefinitely.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20211203","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov and Igor Popov are elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. They are sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Irkutsk region (Irkutsk, Barrikad St., 63).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-12-02T09:41:20+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211202","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in the home of 33-year-old Denis Sarazhakov in the village of Askiz (Republic of Khakassia). The believer is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist community (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). To get into the apartment, one of the security officials first imitates a drunk driver who allegedly crumpled Denis's car standing in the yard. In the end, they introduce themselves as police officers, and when the owner opens the door, he is knocked to the floor. The search, led by Police Major Vladimir Zimin, takes place in a harsh manner, but without violence: the security forces turn over furniture, open the window slope. They seize all electronic devices and after the end of the search, they take Denis Sarazhakov first to the local branch of the Investigative Committee, and then to Irkutsk, located 1500 km from the village of Askiz.\nIn the same case, special events are being held in the city of Mezhdurechensk (Kemerovo Region). At about 3 a.m., the security forces raided the homes of Igor and Mangira Popov with a search, seizing electronic equipment and money from them. After that, the 34-year-old head of the family is detained and taken away in an unknown direction.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211130","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Temirbulatov was again transferred to the pre-trial detention center No. 5 Vodnik on Vyborgskaya Street in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-25T22:22:35+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211125","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, composed of the presiding judge L. N. Zubova, with the participation of senior assistant prosecutor N. S. Seregina and investigator Drozdov, chooses a measure of restraint for Okhapkin in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for a period of 1 month and 26 days, that is, until January 18, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211125","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 24, 2021, six families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the town of Kineshma, Ivanovo Region. Andrey Okhapkin, 59, was sent to pretrial detention for 2 months by a court decision.\nDuring the searches, security officials confiscated electronic devices from believers. They also searched for printed publications and personal records. As it turned out, Okhapkin is suspected of \"resuming extremist activity.\" The rest of the believers are in the case as witnesses. Information is being specified.\nUpdate. According to updated information, the searches took place in the afternoon of November 23, 2021. Some lasted until almost midnight. In addition to electronic devices, personal records, photographs, and information carriers were confiscated from the believers. During one of the searches, a minor was interrogated. To the surprise of the security officer, the girl took advantage of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nIn one of the cases, the raid was led by V. S. Nesterov, FSB Investigative Committee for Ivanovo Region interrogator. On November 27, some of the believers were summoned for interrogation. The FSB investigator R. A. Drozdov interrogated a married couple and a woman whose houses were searched. These also appealed to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to one of the women, the investigator threatened her with the possibility that using this article during interrogation may result in the change of her status from a witness in the case of Andrey Okhapkin into an accused.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-24T16:31:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/261631/image_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/261631/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/261631/image_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/261631/image_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/261631.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","minors"],"title":"59-year-old Believer Andrey Okhapkin Arrested After a New Series of Searches in the Ivanovo Region","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Nikolayev in the pre-trial detention center. The believer feels satisfied, receives and sends many letters every day. He has good relations with his cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211122","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Sergey Skudaev from custody. A new measure of restraint is chosen for him - a ban on certain actions. The believer spent more than 4 months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20211119","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Gorely and Vladimir Popov, following the others, are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Rostov region (Novocherkassk).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211114","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is information that Vasily Meleshko has been transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Belgorod region. The destination is unknown.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20211114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Korolev, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Kosyanenko are elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. Three believers are sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Astrakhan region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20211111","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Skachidub in SIZO-1 in Krasnodar. The believer is currently being held alone in a double cell. To maintain his physical and emotional health, he regularly goes for walks and does exercises.\nVladimir has a Bible. He receives letters of support not only from Russia, but also from England, Germany, the USA and other countries. He receives more correspondence in one day than all prisoners in a week.\nAt the request of the believer, he was given the necessary medicines, which he takes due to chronic diseases. In the pre-trial detention center, he is respected by both convicts and employees. The prisoners warmly address him as \"Uncle Vova\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20211111","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Akhtubinsk District Court elects a measure of restraint for Sergey Korolev in the form of detention until January 9, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20211110","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sannikov in the pre-trial detention center. He complains of pain and aggravated illness. He needs special nutrition. Family and friends send him packages of diet products, but none of the three packages reach him. He has no conflicts with his cellmates and employees of the pre-trial detention center. Sannikov is still prevented from seeing his wife and receives fewer letters than before. However, he does not lose his presence of mind, in which he is helped by reading the Bible. He conveys many kind words to family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211110","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexei Berchuk, convicted for his faith, is in pre-trial detention center-1 in the Irkutsk region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211109","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Shidlovsky, Yevgeny Razumov and Alexei Dyadkin are now being held in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novocherkassk, Rostov Region. They can receive letters of support. In the near future, the rest of the believers involved in this case, Aleksey Gorely, Nikita Moiseyev and Vladimir Popov, are expected to be transferred to this pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211108","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the court hearing to support Konstantin Sannikov. The judge refuses to satisfy the defense's request to admit listeners to the hearing or to organize an online broadcast of the hearing. He also rejects the request that the defendant be allowed to leave the cage for the duration of the current trial.\nSannikov's preventive measure is extended until February 9, 2022.\nTwo prosecution witnesses are being questioned. FSB officer Shakirov explains to the court that he performed his official duties, he cannot provide details on the case under consideration.\nKonstantin Kovalerov, who personally communicated with the defendant on biblical topics, emphasizes that all the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211108","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Temirbulatov's detention for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211108","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow Prosecutor's Office reports that after considering a complaint against the actions of the administration of the Kapotnya pre-trial detention center, where believer Sean Pike was forced to sleep on the floor, the head of the territorial body of the Federal Penitentiary Service was presented with a proposal to eliminate violations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211108","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 8, 2021, the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow extended the detention of Yury Temirbulatov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, in the pre-trial detention facility for another three months. While in custody, he underwent surgery. Andrei Babushkin from the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation personally asked the court to commute his preventive measure.\nThe believer has been in detention for nine months, despite the fact that he suffers from numerous chronic diseases. In addition, he was diagnosed with cancer in the pre-trial detention center. In October, he underwent major surgery to remove the tumor. After being discharged from the hospital, he was transferred back to the “Matrosskaya Tishina” detention centre.\nThe chairman of the \"Committee for Civil Rights\" Andrei Babushkin, in his statement on personal guarantee, drew attention to the fact that Yuri has a dependent mother-in-law - a disabled person of group II. He also noted that Temirbulatov \"is characterized positively at the place of residence, work and place of detention.\"\nTemirbulatov was sent to jail in connection with a criminal case brought against him in February 2021. Investigator Mariya Rasskazova mistakenly interprets reading the Bible and singing religious songs as organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nYuriy Temirbulatov became one of the victims of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the capital, which has not subsided for the second year already. Thus, in 2020, 5 men professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Moscow. Believers are still under house arrest. In 2021, 8 more people living in Moscow, including Temirbulatov, became defendants in criminal cases for believing in God.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony3_hu_965b145f723ac442.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony3_hu_f572e2fbd1b5fb16.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony3_hu_dff2798dcdd43032.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony3_hu_1c81dbf0a31369f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/091503.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"The Court in Moscow Kept Yuriy Temirbulatov in Custody, Despite the Personal Guarantee of Human Rights Activist Andrey Babushkin","type":"news"},{"body":"Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 in Moscow. They are in quarantine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20211107","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov was discharged from the hospital and transferred to the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211104","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow, Olga Chistova, extends the period of detention of Aleksandr Serebryakov for another 3 months. The believer will remain in jail until at least February 10, 2022. The lawyer had the impression that the decision to extend the period of detention of the believer had been made in advance and the judge was trying to complete the hearing as soon as possible. The judge does not give Serebryakov the opportunity to familiarize himself with the case materials. The only evidence of his \"guilt\" is the recording of the service, which was secretly made by law enforcement officers in August 2019.\nRussian human rights activist and public figure Andrey Babushkin sends a personal guarantee about Yuri Temirbulatov to the Savyolovsky District Court. He asks the court to commute the measure of restraint for the believer, since he recently underwent a serious surgical operation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211103","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Danil Suvorov is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Krasnodar Territory. For 2.5 months he has been in detention just because of his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20211103","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The searches that took place in Moscow and Moscow region on October 20, 2021, were not without violations of the rights of special categories of citizens — sick and pensioners. According to eyewitnesses, at times the security forces resorted to groundless threats, and one of the task forces took an unhealthy man away for questioning only because his mother was a Jehovah's Witness.\nAs a reminder, as a result of the raids, three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained, two of them — Roman Mareyev and Sergey Tolokonnikov — were sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nAs the believers said, during the searches, on the whole, the operatives behaved respectfully, but there were exceptions. For example, in one of the cases, the security forces came to a believing woman early in the morning when she was at work. She had to hurriedly return home, because the unexpected visit greatly frightened her sick son, a disabled person of the II group, suffering from mental illness. To avoid aggravating her son's condition, the woman asked law enforcement officers let her son not be present during the search and to wait at her neighbor's, but she was refused. She says: “My son was stressed. He hit the wall with his fist and kept asking: 'Won't you take me away?'\nAlthough the security forces did not want to take the believer's son away for interrogation, at the insistence of their superiors, they nevertheless brought both of them to the police station. “The son was nervous and cried loudly,” the woman said. During the interrogation, the investigators asked the detainees to describe Jehovah's Witnesses, express their \"attitude towards priests,\" and also inform them if they saw fellow believers at home.\nA group of six security officials broke into the apartment of a 71-year-old believer and her husband with diabetes mellitus at 6 a.m. The operatives violently searched woman's room: they threw all things out of the closets and turned over the beds. They confiscated a tablet, a telephone, a hard drive and unbanned editions of the Bible in the Synodal Translation and Archimandrite Macarius' translation from the hostess. Mockery and threats were poured at the believer. The law enforcers said: “You are extremists! You will go to jail. \" After a three-hour search, the spouses were taken for interrogation, despite the elderly woman's poor health and high temperature.\nOn the same morning, a task force of 6 people came to the 83-year-old believer. The officers confiscated from her a laptop, an e-book, a telephone, a Bible in the translation of Archimandrite Macarius, letters, several photographs and a postcard. After an almost 4-hour search, the believer was taken to the police station. The electronic devices were returned to the pensioner on the same day.\nThus, after new searches, already seven believers from Moscow and the Moscow region are in jail. One of them, Sean Pike, faced manifestations of domestic racism there.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-01T11:03:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_af9d50ad38809c4e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_9855f7b3bb34416d.jpg","webp":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_31cfdaa728b01de8.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_c1b3bcdae15553fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/011103.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","disabled","sizo","interrogation","elderly","disability"],"title":"During Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow, Security Forces Detained a Disabled Person with a Mental Disorder and Threatened the Elderly","type":"news"},{"body":"In the pre-trial detention center, Olga is visited by her mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211101","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Ivanova is held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Narimanov, Astrakhan region. She can receive letters of support. In the first 5 days from the moment of her arrest, Olga has already received 38 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211030","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov is receiving urgent treatment at the Moscow City Oncology Hospital No. 62 (Istra). He is successfully undergoing surgery to remove the tumor. His state of health is assessed as satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211028","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow is holding hearings on the extension of the period of detention of believers. For 10 hours, Sean Pike, Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov are kept in a closed cold cell of the detention center, where they are placed in a cage, deprived of food and water throughout the hearing.\nJudge Artem Veretennikov refuses to satisfy the defense's petitions necessary for fair justice, interrupts lawyers and accused, and also conducts the trial with significant violations of the criminal procedure law. Thus, the judge refuses to disclose the case materials, refuses to satisfy the defense's request for their disclosure, and also does not allow lawyers to read out transcripts of hidden audio recordings, from which it clearly follows that the believers only drank tea together and watched entertainment programs.\nIn connection with these violations, the defense is forced not only to ask for objections to the actions of the presiding judge, but also to file a motion for his recusal.\nThe period of detention of men in custody is extended by 3 months, until January 24, 2022. The defense is appealing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211022","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow Dmitry Neudakhin chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention against Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov, and places Anatoly Marunov under house arrest. He is forbidden to leave the home, use means of communication, the Internet, send and receive correspondence.\nRoman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov are quarantined in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow at 57 Verkhnie Polya Street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20211022","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 14, 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus refused to extradite Jehovah's Witness Oleg Lonshakov to the Russian authorities. The believer's preventive measure was cancelled and he was released from Brest pre-trial detention center No. 7. He spent more than two weeks in custody.\nLonshakov, internationally wanted by Russia, was detained in the morning on September 29th in Brest, where he has been living for more than a year and has a residence permit. He spent two days in the temporary detention center, after which Deputy Prosecutor of Brest E. A. Pashkevich issued an order for placing Lonshakov in detention center No. 7 until November 8, 2021.\nBefore moving to Belarus, the 44-year-old believer lived in the village of Tavrichanka in Primorye Territory. In May 2020, Russian authorities initiated a criminal case against Lonshakov under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activities), essentially because of his beliefs. Due to religious repressions at home, Oleg was forced to leave for Belarus.\nIn September, 2021, Lonshakov applied for refugee status on the basis of his religion. In the coming weeks, it is going to be considered by the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Interior Ministry of Belarus.\nThis is not the first time the Belarusian authorities have detained and then released a Jehovah's Witness from Russia. In 2020, Nikolay Makhalichev from the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area) spent more than a month in pre-detention center No. 2 in the Vitebsk region.\n","category":"rights","date":"2021-10-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_925a4297698e0939.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_a0b18f792e0f495c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_6ca1ac711caa60c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_9fcbd44eaeafaf8a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/191540.html","regions":["belarus","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Belarus Refused to Extradite Jehovah's Witness Oleg Lonshakov to Russia, He Was Released From Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"After suffering from covid, Sean Pike is discharged from SIZO-1 in Moscow and transferred back to SIZO-2 \"Butyrka\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211012","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the morning of September 29, 2021, a 44-year-old Russian citizen Oleg Lonshakov was detained in his apartment in Brest due to the fact that he was put on the interstate wanted list in Russia. On October 1, the deputy prosecutor of the city E. A. Pashkevich decided to detain him until November 8, 2021 in pre-trial detention center No. 7 of the UDIN Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus in the Brest region.\nLonshakov learned from Belarusian law enforcement agencies that in Russia he was accused of \"extremism\" in a criminal case initiated on the basis of confessional affiliation. Oleg professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier, he had applied for political asylum in Belarus. The believer has been living in Belarus for more than a year and has a residence permit.\nBefore moving to Belarus, Lonshakov lived in the village of Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory), where a wave of searches took place in July 2020.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-11T10:57:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/111057.html","regions":["primorye","belarus"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Russia Was Arrested in Belarus. At Home, He Faces Criminal Prosecution for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Dmitry Golik and Alexei Berchuk were placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-10-08T14:48:58+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211008","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Meetings are held as a measure of restraint. The court sends Yaroslav Kalin, Sergey Kosteev, Nikolay Martynov, Mikhail Moish, Alexei Solnechny and Andrey Tolmachev to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Irkutsk region. After 2 days spent in the temporary detention facility, Sergey Vasilyev is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211005","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","ivs","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On 4 October 2021, starting at 6:00 a.m., brigades of armed Rosgvardiya officers led by investigators surrounded the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Irkutsk and the village of Pivovarikha. At least nine searches are known to have been carried out at different addresses. Windows were broken in one of the houses.\nBelievers are detained for interrogation. Some were released. Among others, searches are being conducted in the family home of 52-year-old Yaroslav Kalin, as well as in the home of 63-year-old Nikolay Martynov. The news is being updated.\nUpdate. According to updated information, searches were carried out in 13 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. Six believers were sent to jail: 52-year-old Yaroslav Kalin, 34-year-old Mikhail Moish, 45-year-old Alexei Solnechny, 61-year-old Sergey Kosteev, 63-year-old Nikolai Martynov and 46-year-old Andrey Tolmachev. Another, 70-year-old Sergey Vasilyev, was placed under house arrest after 2 days behind bars.\nThe issue of choosing a preventive measure for the detained believers was decided in the Irkutsk court on October 5 and 6, 2021. On the first day, about 300 people gathered outside the courthouse, wishing to support their fellow believers. After a while, they were approached by women living nearby, who learned that there were believers in court. They brought hot tea with them to express their sympathy.\nPhoto: In Irkutsk, about 300 of their friends came to the courthouse, where the measure of restraint was chosen for 6 believers, to support them After 2017, followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are erroneously charged with crimes under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, as investigators interpret ordinary religious practice as participation in the activities of an organization banned by the court. Often the victims of searches and detentions are also acquaintances, relatives of believers or even random persons taken for Jehovah's Witnesses by mistake.\nIrkutsk Region became the 69th region in Russia where residents are criminally prosecuted for believing in Jehovah's God. Jehovah's Witnesses have lived in this area since the days of Operation \"North\", when they were victims of the largest confessional deportation in Soviet history. The believers were later rehabilitated, so the mass roundups and criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia are of concern to historians and legal scholars.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-04T15:29:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/041529.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In the Irkutsk Region, the Officials Conducts Searches in the Families of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in the pre-trial detention center. In connection with the renovation in the cell, the believer was temporarily transferred to a room on the 1st floor, which is very cold.\nKonstantin suffered a cold, and also 2-3 times a month he experiences bouts of abdominal pain that last for several hours.\nThe believer is still denied visits from his wife, citing the assumption that she can be summoned to court as a witness in the case.\nKonstantin regularly receives letters, he has a Bible. He has good relations with his cellmates and the staff of the pre-trial detention center. Employees are surprised to note how many letters from all over the world he receives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211004","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike is being transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Moscow for treatment for covid.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211004","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vasily Meleshko in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Belgorod region. Vasily feels fine, but has rapidly lost weight. His cellmates treat him and his beliefs with respect. Vasily receives letters from different countries with a slight delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20211002","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Popov is again placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Rostov-on-Don after almost 2 months of stay in a tuberculosis hospital. The believer can write letters of support to the address of the institution.\nHe familiarized himself with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210930","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Aleksandr Nikolayev to the Investigative Committee, ostensibly for interrogation, where the believer and his wife, Yevgenia, arrive by private transport. There he was detained and taken to court. The judge chooses a measure of restraint for Alexander in the form of detention. Immediately after the meeting, the believer is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novorossiysk. Eugenia manages to give her husband the necessary things, she is given a summons issued to Alexander retroactively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20210930","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the pre-trial detention center, Sergey Skudaev is visited by a lawyer. He finds out that the believer suffered a coronavirus without treatment, he was not given drugs, but now everything is fine. Does exercises, monitors health. The cell is warm, there is enough food. The believer has good relations with his cellmates, they do not smoke, they wash their hands. Sergey is receiving letters of support, but the Bible is still being checked by the censor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210927","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 27, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Ufa, Oksana Ilalova, found Anatoliy Vilitkevich guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months for his faith in Jehovah God.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Vilitkevich to 7 years in a general regime colony. Passing the verdict, the judge reclassified the charge from Part 1 (organizing the activities of an extremist organization) to Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and appointed Anatoly a punishment not related to imprisonment.\nMaster of finishing works Anatoliy Vilitkevich became one of the first to be imprisoned because of his faith after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) was initiated against Anatoliy on April 11, 2018. A day earlier, mass searches took place in Ufa and its environs, after which Vilitkevich was detained. Taking the believer away, the security officials told his wife, Alyona, that she would not see him for a long time, and advised him to “look for a new husband”. Before these events, hidden video filming was carried out in the apartment of the spouses for six months.\nVilitkevich spent 2.5 months in a pre-trial detention center and almost 9 months under house arrest. For the last two and a half years, he was under recognizance agreement. In October 2020, the case went to court.\nMany contradictions were found in the materials of the criminal case. Thus, the sheets of the case provided to the defense side differed from those used by the prosecutor. At one of the hearings, the prosecution witness denied that he had ever met the defendant, although this was mentioned in the testimony he signed. Another witness, referring to a bad memory, was unable to explain the contradictions in his testimony. Vilitkevich, speaking with the last word, reminded the court that during the trial the prosecution witnesses had repeatedly confused the defendant with his lawyer. All prosecution witnesses who knew Anatoliy personally characterized him as an honest, peaceful citizen.\nAnatoliy Vilitkevich's lawyer drew the court's attention to the dubious nature of the religious examination. Its author, expert Marina Bignova, regularly “represents the Russian Orthodox Church” at public events and also criticizes Jehovah's Witnesses there.\nDuring the trial, the court studied records of home worship, during which Jehovah's Witnesses discussed how to help fellow believers, see good in people, regularly read the Bible, and praise children. The state prosecution considered such actions to be a threat to the security of society and the state.\nIn his appeal to the court, Vilitkevich emphasized: “In fact, the evidence that was collected and presented by the investigator suggests that I am Jehovah's Witness, that I met with fellow believers to watch videos of divine services, sang songs with them, prayed to Jehovah God and discussed his beliefs. However, do all these actions constitute a crime under the article presented to me? No!\"\nAlyona Vilitkevich was one of the wives of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses who sent an open letter to the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation. In this letter, the spouses of believers wrote: “In exchange for freedom and a quiet life, we are offered to renounce our faith. This is not a figure of speech — the investigators in the literal sense of the word propose to sign the paper in order to avoid punishment for ‘extremism’! Otherwise, according to them, no lawyers will help us. But we cannot stop believing in God. This is a right that every person has from the moment of his birth. The Russian Federation is a multi-confessional state, and we, as citizens of Russia, have the right to count on the state's respect and protection of our rights. We are not asking for any special privileges. We ask only one thing — please protect our rights. \"\nCommenting on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Alexandr Verkhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, noted: “According to the Constitution, people in Russia can collectively practice their faith. Faith cannot be forbidden. But as soon as Jehovah's Witnesses do this in practice — and this can be qualified as a congregation of a prohibited organization, article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The technique is not unique, but the scale is unique: in the post-Soviet period, criminal cases against any other group did not multiply at such a speed. We see that the mechanics of anti-extremist policies lead to a fundamental and large-scale undermining of one of the key freedoms—- freedom of conscience. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_e814eff3fa1bc41c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_3f23e03d00e5306e.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_dd3b3347aa40f79e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_920ad16c07c2041c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/280834.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","mitigation","sizo","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The Court in Bashkiriya Sentenced Anatoliy Vilitkevich to Two Years of Conditional Sentence for Discussing the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"Vasily Meleshko leaves the Kursk pre-trial detention center No. 1 and goes to Belgorod.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-24T15:28:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210924","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 23, 2021, the Traktorozavodsky district court of Volgograd sentenced Valeriy Rogozin, Igor Yegozaryan, Sergey Melnik, and Denis Peresunko to long prison terms for praying and discussing the Bible with fellow believers. They were taken into custody and will be kept in pre-trial detention until the sentence comes into force.\nOnly the defendants and one family member each were allowed into the courtroom. Their numerous friends who were waiting outside saw a paddy wagon and a convoy with dogs approaching the court building and it was clear that the sentence would involve actual imprisonment. So during the lunch break, the defendants said goodbye to their relatives and friends.\nJudge Iryna Struk sentenced Valeriy Rogozin to 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony, Denis Peresunko to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony, Sergey Melnik to 6 years in a penal colony, and Igor Yegorzaryan to 6 years in a penal colony. Earlier, assistant prosecutor Anna Myagkova asked for 9 years in a penal colony for Rogozin and Peresunko, and 7 years for Igor Yegorzaryan and Sergey Melnik.\nWhile the investigation was going on, Valeriy Rogozin, Sergey Melnik, and Igor Egozaryan have already spent more than 7 months behind bars. This seriously undermined Rogozin\u0026#39;s health, and he had to undergo prolonged treatment. Denis Peresunko was in pre-trial detention for more than 5 months. At the same time, there are no victims in the case. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nValeriy Rogozin, 59, is a former military pilot, who served in the army for 12 years. For many years he worked as a design engineer. Together with his wife, they raised two sons. Igor Yegozaryan, a 56-year-old construction electrician, is raising an underage son. Sergey Melnik, 49, a slinger and roofer by profession, helps his wife take care of their sick relatives. The spouses are raising three sons together, one of whom is underage. Denis Peresunko, 43, is on disability. The stress of his wife\u0026#39;s death and criminal prosecution have aggravated his condition.\nOn November 22, 2019, the charges against the believers were toughened—now the investigation considered them not participants, but organizers of an extremist community. Two of them, Rogozin and Peresunko, were also charged under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of an extremist organization). These articles carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.\nThe case against Valeriy Rogozin and three other believers was initiated on May 13, 2019. It was investigated for about 8 months by the Investigative Committee of the Volgograd region. The case went to the Traktorozavodsky district court of Volgograd on January 9, 2020.\nTo prove the guilt of peaceful believers in court, the prosecution questioned classified witnesses. One of them secretly recorded the worship services and stated that the unlawful activity of the defendants was to \u0026quot;obey God. Another secret witness accused the believers of \u0026quot;spiritual terrorism,\u0026quot; although there is no such term. The witnesses were interrogated incognito because of the alleged danger to their lives and the health of declassifying their identities, but no confirmation of this was given. One undercover witness said he never heard the defendants threaten, call for violence, or overthrow the government.\nIn May 2020, the UN Human Rights Council\u0026#39;s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled the criminal cases against 18 believers in Russia, including Valeriy Rogozin and Igor Yegozaryan, illegal.\nLawyers for the believers repeatedly alleged numerous violations during the preliminary investigation. Prosecution witnesses who appeared in court—mostly elderly—said that their testimony was falsified and their preliminary testimony contained words they had not said. One of them explicitly stated that the investigator had \u0026quot;made up and edited\u0026quot; her testimony. The defendants drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that the prosecution deliberately focuses on questioning elderly witnesses because it is easier to confuse them and get them to testify for the investigation.\nSpeaking in court with his last plea, Valeriy Rogozin emphasized: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are peaceful, politically neutral people. We do not participate in protest rallies, strikes, or support any of the conflicting parties. We do not participate in military conflicts. We learned from the Bible that only God can deal with all of humanity\u0026#39;s problems. Sergey Melnyk emphasized in his address to the court: \u0026quot;I have never done anything that goes against the laws of God. Moreover, I have tried to do good, to show love and justice, to take care of people. Denis Peresunko noted: \u0026quot;Jesus was tried and killed for bringing truth to people. I am being judged because I learned the truth that is in the Bible and discussed it with my friends. Igor Yegozarian said in his final remarks: \u0026quot;The whole world says that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses cannot be extremists, that they are pacifists, that they do not take up arms and never speak against the state, they do not interfere in politics. The whole history of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is proof of that.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;Officially, the Russian authorities—President Vladimir Putin, the government, the Foreign Ministry—emphasize that it is not forbidden in the country to practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. But courts in the regions keep putting peaceful people behind bars for long terms,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy commenting on the situation. \u0026quot;April 2021 marked the 70th anniversary of Operation \u0026#39;North\u0026#39;. when thousands of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were \u0026#39;designated\u0026#39; as criminals and deported under very similar charges of harming the state and society. Decades later, these charges were found to be criminal, and the victims of the repression were rehabilitated and compensated by the state. Today, accusations of extremism against the Witnesses resound like clear echoes. Dozens of ongoing and past trials of believers prove that there is not a single instance of actual harm to the state and society. The law enforcement facilities view it as extremism that people continue to pray and discuss the Bible peacefully together, just as they did in Soviet times\u0026quot;.\nThe prosecution consistently confused the concepts of a religious assembly and a local religious organization (LRO). The defense emphasized that no one could be held criminally liable for participating in a worship service. The position of the prosecution, as in many other cases against Russian believers, is at odds with that of the Russian Supreme Court, which has not banned Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/240821/image_hu_2d95a16a538b8de6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/240821/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/240821/image_hu_98ff256177469804.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/240821/image_hu_66def27fcc9a37c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/240821.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":"Court in Volgograd Sentenced Four Jehovah's Witnesses","tags":["sizo","sentence","282.2-1","282.3-1","health-risk","fabrications"],"title":"From 6 years to 6 years and 5 months in prison for the faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"One of Jehovah's Witness Yuriy Usanov, 29, of the town of Tayga, had his pleasant pre-wedding troubles suddenly ended when he was taken to the penitentiary in April 2021 for his faith. His fiancée, Irina Yagunova, was long denied visitation until they were married on September 9, 2021 - right in the jail.\nTheir wedding Yuriy and Irina originally planned for July 17, 2021. It was to be a long-awaited and joyful event for them, as well as for their families and friends. However, on April 2, Yuri suddenly stopped getting in touch. When his friends arrived, they found the window in his house broken and the bars cut off. It turned out that Yuriy was detained on charges of organizing the activities of a banned organization, as he had been discussing the texts of the Bible with his friends via video link. His house was searched and he has been behind bars ever since.\nWhat happened was a real test for both Yuriy and Irina. The girl was told that she had no right to visits since she was a potential witness in the case. Nevertheless, Irina and Yuriy managed to get permission to register their marriage right in the detention center. On the day of the wedding, friends and relatives came to the building of the pre-trial detention center with flowers, air balloons, and in holiday clothes. Irina was also dressed as a bride. Only she, her parents, and a registrar were allowed inside. The spouses were not allowed to stay together after the wedding. Photography was also forbidden. Now Yuriy remains in the pre-trial detention center, and Irina is at home and is looking for a meeting with her husband in her new status.\nSome time ago Yuriy was put in solitary confinement, which allows him to quietly read the Bible and meditate on its pages. He is grateful to everyone who writes letters of encouragement to him: at the beginning of September, there were already 1,179 letters from 29 countries. Of course, most of all he enjoys the letters from his wife, who has become a real support for him. According to the court's decision, his current preventive measure must remain in force until at least October 30, 2021.\nLegal scholars and human rights activists working for Russian and international organizations consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses a legal conflict and are making efforts to end it as soon as possible.\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-09-22T16:14:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_a94f193aac954752.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_afdf209b236145b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_5db5bbc5819f7ecc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_93dacba85fb241e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/221614.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","human-right-organizations"],"title":"Believers’ Wedding Ceremony Became an Event for the Detention Center in the Town of Anzhero-Sudzhensk. How Religious Persecution Breaks the Lives of Innocent People","type":"news"},{"body":"Fungus on the walls and cellmates sick with covid - in such conditions the arrested believers from Gukovo are held\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-09-17T10:34:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/171034.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"Rumyantsev, Sviridov, and Pike, Jehovah's Witnesses arrested in Moscow, were Transferred to pretrial detention center \"Butyrka\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-09-16T15:15:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/161507.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"Sean Pike tells his lawyer that he received a Bible in Russian language in the library of the Butyrka pre-trial detention center. He reads it every day, despite the fact that he does not have strong enough glasses with him and Russian is not his native language.\nHe also draws support from letters from fellow believers. In SIZO-7 he received 80-100 letters at a time, and in the pre-trial detention center \"Butyrka\" he received only 8 letters so far. He is given enough food. His health condition continues to raise concerns. In this regard, he plans to visit a doctor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210915","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skudaev went to court to extend the measure of restraint with 10 other prisoners. One man said that he was sitting in the same cell with two Jehovah's Witnesses. He willingly told everyone for 2 hours what the followers of this religion believed and why they were worthy of respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210913","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Tatiana in the pre-trial detention center. She says that she had covid in August, she still has a cough, but she feels good. Due to her illness, she was unable to attend the court hearing, where it was decided to extend her detention.\nTatiana has already received about 1500 letters from fellow believers from all over the world. They serve as support not only for the believer herself, but also for her cellmates. \"The girls are waiting for my letters,\" says Tatiana.\nA week ago, the believer was given a complete Bible. Thanks to the advice from this book, she manages to create a friendly atmosphere in the cell and avoid conflicts.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20210913","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It is known that Sean Pike in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center is temporarily placed in a quarantine cell designed for 5 people. In this cell he has his own bunk. Relationships with cellmates are built peaceful and calm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210911","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All three believers were sent to the pre-trial detention center-2 \"Butyrka\", located in Moscow at 45 Novoslobodskaya Street.\nAs Sean Pike later reports, he is taken out of SIZO-7 at 14:00, and he gets to the new cell in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center only at 5:00 the next day. A lot of time is spent on the road and design.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210910","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Lyulin in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that at first he was kept in a cell with 15 prisoners, many of whom smoked and used foul language. Because of the noise, it was hard to sleep at night. In August, Sergey suffered from COVID-19.\nLater, the believer was transferred to a special unit. He is now being held in a double cell. Conditions and well-being are satisfactory, goes for walks. Another prisoner is being held in the cell together with Sergey. The believer receives letters of support and responds to them - he manages to write 4 letters a day.\nAccording to defense lawyer Taras Kuzio, during each trial, the believer asks to be allowed to take short walks to visit the pharmacy and shop. However, the judge continues to refuse his request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210910","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer reports on the conditions of Sean Pike's detention in the pre-trial detention center: the believer was transferred to another cell, now he has one cellmate and has his own bed. However, Pike began to have health problems: he suffers from a dry cough, periodically he feels a pre-fainting state - the consequences of his stay in the previous cell with smokers and the lack of an extract in the new cell affect. He was denied a doctor's visit.\nEmployees of the Federal Penitentiary Service have already talked with Sean Pike several times, trying to convince him that Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in Russia. In response, Pike explains that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not deprive believers of the right to adhere to their beliefs.\nSean Pike does not lose courage, he is grateful to relatives and friends for their support. So, he received a large parcel from his wife and about 300 letters from fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210909","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Usanov registers his marriage with his bride Irina right in the pre-trial detention center. On the day of the wedding, friends and relatives came to the building of the pre-trial detention center with flowers, balloons and in elegant clothes. Irina was also dressed as a bride. Only she, as well as her parents and a registry office employee, were allowed to go inside. After the marriage, the spouses were not allowed to stay together. Photography was also forbidden. Now Yuriy remains in the pre-trial detention center, and Irina is at home and is looking for a meeting with her husband in her new status.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210909","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeniy Korotun in the pre-trial detention center. The believer feels satisfied. Employees of the pre-trial detention center treat him with respect. Yevgeniy was transferred to a larger solitary confinement cell measuring 2.7 m by 2.7 m. He receives all letters and parcels, and also communicates with his wife once a month during short-term visits. The believer misses his 10-year-old son very much.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210907","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits a believer in a pre-trial detention center. It turns out that Sergey Skudaev is still not receiving any medical care. The authorities of the medical unit and the pre-trial detention center do not respond to the believer's written requests to conduct an examination, taking into account the consequences of covid, as well as to deal with the procedure for conducting the examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210906","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court upholds the decision of the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow to extend the measure of restraint for Yuri Temirbulatov and Alexander Serebryakov. The period of detention has been increased from 6 to 9 months.\nThe court ignores the cancer diagnosed in Temirbulatov, as well as violations of the law committed during the election of a preventive measure and its extension.\nYuriy Temirbulatov suffers from pain and needs urgent treatment in a specialized oncological treatment and prevention center. In view of this, the lawyer files an appeal with the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Moscow City Court against the decision to extend the detention of the believer in the pre-trial detention center and demands that it be canceled. The defense presents to the court the opinion of an experienced forensic expert, according to which Temirbulatov's numerous illnesses prevent him from being in the pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to the lawyer, the detention of the believer was illegal from the very beginning. The investigation did not have any of the grounds provided for in Article 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation for Yuriy's detention: there were no victims; the believer did not try to hide; He lived at the address of his permanent residence.\nThe lawyer points out the violations committed. For example, she draws attention to the fact that, given the composition of the investigation team, all investigative actions could have been completed within the first 6 months while Temirbulatov was in custody. In addition, the Code of Criminal Procedure allows for the extension of the period of detention for more than 6 months \"only in cases of particular complexity of the criminal case.\" That is, the matter should be not just \"difficult\", but \"especially difficult\". In the present case, this is not the case.\nInstead of taking into account the serious state of health of the defendant, as well as other mitigating circumstances, the court takes into account the investigator's arguments about the gravity of the crime and the alleged possible escape of the suspect. Also, the investigator interpreted Temirbulatov's refusal to admit his guilt as \"an active position of opposition to the investigation.\" However, the specific, factual evidence required for detention is not specified in the judge's decision. And the gravity of the crime alone cannot be the only and sufficient basis for this.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210906","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy is visited by a lawyer in the detention center. He notes that, on the whole, the believer feels well. He was transferred to solitary confinement so that he can read the Bible and meditate in peace. According to Yuriy, for him these are \"the best conditions for all the time spent in the pre-trial detention center.\" He said that he was grateful to everyone who wrote him letters of support - as of September 3, there were already 1179 of them from 29 countries, but due to emotional burnout, he could not answer most of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210906","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Seversky City Court extends Yevgeny's preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center until December 30. The judge satisfies the prosecutor's request to appoint a psychological and psychiatric examination for the believer.\nAfter the court hearing, 14 fellow believers, who came to support Yevgeniy and his wife, but were not allowed to attend the court session, are waiting for the paddy wagon to take the believer back to the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210903","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 27, 2021, Sean Pike, a 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness who was detained in Moscow for his faith , was placed in an overcrowded cell in Kapotnya Detention Center 7, given a mattress, and has been forced to sleep on the floor ever since. According to the lawyer, the situation can only be explained by a manifestation of domestic racism.\n“High-class specialist Sean Pike is not a murderer, not a thief, and not involved in drugs. He's a decent man. The attitude towards him is caused only by the color of his skin, this is just everyday racism, ”said his lawyer.\nAs he explained, it is known that other cells of this pre-trial detention center are not overcrowded, some have free places. Of all those detained, only a black believer is subjected to such humiliating treatment.\nA native of Georgetown, Sean Pike is a citizen of Gayana and Russia. He is married and has two young children with chronic diseases in his care. In 1997, Pike graduated from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia with honors, his thesis was recognized as the best that year. For almost 8 years he worked in the Ministry of Transport of Gayana. The believer has been working in the Russian Federation since 2010, from June 2012 to the present - in the Moscow office of one of the international design and construction companies. Sean Pike holds the position of senior project team leader and, as stated in his job description, has shown himself to be \"a responsible, balanced and competent employee\", which is not tied to suspicions of extremism.\nSean Pike, as well as two other Jehovah's Witnesses, Eduard Sviridov and Aleksandr Rumyantsev, were detained during searches of the homes of believers in the Teply Stan district on August 25, 2021. They were placed in a temporary detention center, and two days later the Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow sent them into custody until at least 24 October. Believers are accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In the opinion of the investigator Vladimir Zubkov, who initiated the case, conversations about the Bible \"have an increased public danger.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-09-01T14:55:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_9fadd8a26e3f4856.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_657618c05c98a9f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_c209feac2a0fa355.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_bd87af84d25ca435.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/011455.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","health-risk"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Gayana, Arrested in Moscow, is Forced to Sleep on the Floor, Although There Are Free Beds in the Pre-trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"Vasiliya Meleshko is leaving pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk. He is moved to the place of serving his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210901","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the PFRSI (pre-trial detention facility) in which Inver Siyukhov is located is a subdivision of the correctional colony No. 1 of strict regime in the village of Tlyustenkhabl, about 110 km from Maikop. Letters of support to the believer can be sent by regular mail.\nThe lawyer reports that Inver received only two letters, the rest are not given to him. The believer also asked for vaccination against COVID-19 and hepatitis B, but was refused. Despite all the difficulties, Inver is in good emotional and physical shape.\nSiyukhov's case is transferred to the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea for consideration on the merits. It is appointed to Judge Bella Stash. About two weeks earlier, at the request of the investigator, the Maykop court limited the time for the believer to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case. According to paragraph 3 of Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, \"the accused and his defense counsel may not be limited in the time necessary for them to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210901","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Kuzhelkov is being transferred from SIZO-1 in Tambov to SIZO No. 3 in Zeleny Gai, located in the Michurinsky District of the Tambov Region. The believer has been behind bars for 250 days. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210830","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Anatoly Isakov from the pre-trial detention center and, at the request of the investigator, chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210828","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers visit the accused in the pre-trial detention center. It becomes known about the conditions of Sean Pike's detention: the believer is placed in an overcrowded cell, he is forced to sleep on the floor.\nAppeals against the election of a preventive measure are filed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210828","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow elects Alexander Rumyantsev, Eduard Sviridov and Sean Antonio Pike a preventive measure in the form of detention until October 24, 2021 inclusive. They are placed in quarantine for two weeks in pre-trial detention center No. 7 on Verkhniye Polya Street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210827","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Vladimir Dmitry Kayushkin extends the detention of Aleksey Kupriyanov until November 27, 2021. The court does not take into account Aleksey's health problems, the need for special care for his mother, a disabled person of group II, and positive characteristics from colleagues and neighbors of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20210824","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the believer's preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20210824","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Parkov was also transferred from Rostov SIZO-5 to SIZO-3 at the address: Novocherkassk, Ukrainskaya str., 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210824","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skudaev is informed of a positive test result for covid. He suffers from cough and chest pain, has a high fever and has no sense of smell or taste. He is isolated from other prisoners, but no medical treatment is provided.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210823","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning of August 18, searches were carried out in Sochi at three addresses at least as part of a criminal case against 25-year-old Danil Suvorov. The believer was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. The next day, the court ruled to send him to a pre-trial detention center.\nAt 6:30 in the morning, law enforcement officers invaded Danil Suvorov. Electronic equipment was confiscated from the believer. At the same time, the security forces were looking for Danil at the house of other believers living in the village of Vesyoloye, Adler District, Sochi. There the search was carried out under the direction of the senior investigator of the RF IC for the Krasnodar Territory R. A. Shevriyev. Law enforcers were looking for religious literature. They confiscated electronic equipment, personal notes, postcards and a book about Jehovah's Witnesses, religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko. After the searches, the detainees were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Everyone except Danil was later released.\nAnother search took place at the elderly woman's house. Law enforcement officers mistakenly believed that the woman was the mother of Danil Suvorov. Her son, Danil’s fellow believer, was summoned for interrogation.\nDanil Suvorov is accused of committing a crime under Part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Suvorov, “using his authority as a spiritual leader ... of Jehovah's Witnesses, took active steps aimed at persuading, recruiting and otherwise involving ... [a local resident] in the activities of a banned extremist ... [organization] on the territory Sochi \". This is how law enforcement officers qualified ordinary peaceful talk about the Bible. The criminal case is being investigated by the senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory A. G. Andrianov.\nThis is the third criminal case for faith in Sochi and the 12th in the Krasnodar Territory. Six Jehovah's Witnesses from the region have already been convicted and sentenced to between 13 months and 7.5 years in prison.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-08-20T10:38:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/201038.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Again Held in Sochi. 25-Year-Old Believer Is Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"The court extends Yuriy Usanov's detention until October 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210819","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Arsen and Vilen Avanesov were transferred from the Rostov SIZO-5 to SIZO-3 at the address: Novocherkassk, Ukrainskaya str., 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-08-13T13:55:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210813","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kievsky District Court of Simferopol decides to detain Sergey Lyulin until September 4, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210813","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Not far from Belgorod, investigator Novikov and other police officers, dressed in civilian clothes, detain Sergei Lyulin. They push the believer into the luggage compartment of the minibus, handcuffing his hands to handrails under the ceiling on both sides of the cabin, and tape his legs to the seat. In this position, Sergey is taken to the Simferopol pre-trial detention center. The journey takes 16 hours. On the way, employees sometimes offer Sergey food or drink, but he refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210811","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation","siloviks-violence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The ECHR sends a request to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. Lawyers also appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kurgan Region, after which the Commissioner initiates an urgent inspection.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210810","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","echr","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers file a complaint with the ECHR about the detention of a believer despite his serious health condition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210808","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","echr","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Morozov is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nOksana Zakharova, an investigator for especially important cases of the Taiga Investigation Department, who arrived from Kuzbass, petitions the Central District Court of Tolyatti to detain Maxim Morozov.\nJudge Anastasia Fedorova grants the investigator's request and sends the believer to jail until September 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210807","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is information that Alexander Berchuk and Dmitry Golik were sent from Blagoveshchensk to another pre-trial detention center - pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Ussuriysk. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense re-submits a petition to the Kurgan Regional Court demanding that Isakov's preventive measure be changed or canceled without delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210728","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","complaints","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Popov is in the Federal State Medical and Prophylactic Institution \"Interregional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 19\". You can write letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210727","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits believers in the pre-trial detention center. Vladimir Melnyk reports that he has received the Bible in the Modern Translation and more than 3,200 letters, many of which he does not have time to answer.\nIn the criminal case of believers, 43 examinations were appointed. Artur Putintsev is the only one whom the investigator acquainted with the 8 examinations carried out. Artur is in a cell with smokers and asks the administration of the pre-trial detention center to change this situation.\nVladimir Piskarev was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. However, according to the medical examination report, this does not prevent the believer from being held in a pre-trial detention center. The prisoner does exercises, which to some extent helps him control blood pressure. July marked the 45th anniversary of the family life of the Piskarevs.\nAll believers are allowed to call their relatives 2 times a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20210727","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Popov is being transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 to the medical unit of pre-trial detention center No. 5 in connection with suspected pneumonia. He can still write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210721","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer's lawyer files an appeal with the Department of Health of the Kurgan Region against the chosen measure of restraint and asks for it to be canceled. The detention of a believer in a pre-trial detention center poses a threat to his life and health. In the complaint, the lawyer notes: \"Such conditions cause systematic and daily pain, comparable to the torture and torture of a person in old age, since the pain intensifies and becomes unbearable at times, and the threat to life and health becomes real.\" The arrest interrupts the chemotherapy that the believer has been undergoing since July 5, 2021. The treatment was supposed to end on July 25, 2021. All this poses a threat to the life of Anatoly Isakov.\nHe also asks for the prosecution of the doctor who misled the court about Isakov's state of health, concluding that he could be detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210721","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","complaints","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files an appeal to the Kurgan Regional Court against the chosen preventive measure of Anatoly Isakov. According to the lawyer, the believer must be released from the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210719","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","complaints","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court Yevgeny Kolesov chooses Lubin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months - until September 13.\nNeither the investigator nor the court take into account that the believer has a group II disability. According to the submitted medical certificates, Lubin's detention in the pre-trial detention center poses a real danger to his health and life.\nSince 2018, he has been in need of planned hospitalization. So, in 2020, the believer was treated in a hospital 8 times, and the next planned hospitalization should take place in August 2021. According to the doctors' prescription, Alexander must use an oxygen cylinder for 16 hours a day, which is impossible in an isolation ward. The requirements for prisoners and the daily routine in the pre-trial detention center are an unbearable burden for the believer, since due to constant pain in the hip joints, he can hardly move.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","disability","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Sergey Kretov and Yevgeny Reshetnikov. Believers are transferred to house arrest until September 15, 2021 after 241 days in a pre-trial detention center and allowed daily hour-long walks.\nThe court extends Valeriy Khmil's detention under house arrest until October 15, 2021 and allows him daily two-hour walks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210715","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Filatov is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk Elena Krivets sends the believer to the pre-trial detention center until September 8, 2021. She explains this by the fact that Alexander represents \"an increased public danger and public outcry,\" and \"the presence of young children, a spouse and a place of residence in Krasnoyarsk is not an unconditional basis preventing Filatov from choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention.\"\nAleksandr Filatov is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1, located at 72 Respublika Street, Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20210715","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court Alexander Schneider chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey Skudaev in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, that is, until September 13, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210715","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov officially prosecutes Anatoliy Isakov as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe judge of the Kurgan City Court A. N. Schneider chooses a measure of restraint for Anatoly Isakov in the form of imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The court does not take into account the serious state of health of the accused.\nIn the pre-trial detention center, prisoners are obliged to follow the requirements of the pre-trial detention center, including physical activity, which Isakov cannot perform due to his health condition: he can hardly move, and it is beyond his power to walk in the ranks and keep the speed of movement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210715","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Ryshkov and Andrey Andreev in the pre-trial detention center, who are awaiting consideration of the appeal against the verdict.\nAndreyev is being held in a six-bed cell without a refrigerator or a TV. He had presumably been ill with COVID-19, and also suffered a flux. The believer notes that the 15,000 letters of support he received prompted the administration of the pre-trial detention center to treat him with more respect. Andrey has a Bible, which he was able to get only after several appeals to the administration. Andreev tries to keep himself in good physical shape.\nRyshkov is being held in a newly renovated cell. He receives letters of support, the number of which surprises the staff of the pre-trial detention center and cellmates. The believer also managed to get a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210715","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Filatov was detained and at 11:20 p.m. was taken to the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the city of Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, and later transferred to Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20210713","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 8, 2021, new criminal cases were filed against Jehovah's Witnesses living in the Vladimir region. Aleksey Kupriyanov, 48, from Kovrov, and Roman Adestov, 45, from the village of Ivanovo were interrogated and detained. The next day, the Oktyabrskiy district court of Vladimir put them in custody.\nIn the early morning of 8 July, law enforcement officers came with searches simultaneously to Kupriyanov and Adestov. Aleksey and Raman were taken for interrogation to the head criminal investigator D.A. Tyumenev. Then the search continued in the presence of the wives of the believers. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices. A few days before the searches, the Kupriyanovs and Adestovs noticed interruptions in the work of the home Internet and TV receivers.\nThe search in Kovrov was led by Captain Velichko, a senior FSB operative, and in the village of Ivanovo by junior FSB operative Polyakov.\nOn June 28, 2021, investigator Tyumenev opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Kupriyanov. According to the investigation, the believer \"took part in religious meetings ... actively participated in the collection of information on the amount of work done... on the implementation of... the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses ... to the civilian masses.\" This is how the investigation interprets peaceful discussions of the Bible among friends. Despite the fact that Aleksey has elderly parents who are dependent on him, the court ruled to detain the believer until August 26, 2021.\nAbout five months ago, a criminal case was opened in Kovrov against 66-year-old Boris Simonenko, who is still in jail for his faith in Jehovah God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-12T17:39:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_3dd4f75521370e17.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_ec41d7a35805223.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_43f35cb9a10562c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_862f2f0ef78dc89f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/121739.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","new-case","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"New Prisoners of Conscience in the Vladimir Region of Russia: Two More Jehovah's Witnesses Sent to Detention Centers","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Vladimir I. A. Egorov chooses a measure of restraint for Roman Adestov - detention for a period of 1 month and 19 days (until August 26, 2021). The court makes this decision despite the fact that the believer has an elderly mother dependent on him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20210709","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 30, 2021, the judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region, Tatyana Studilko, set a new record for the cruelty of a sentence to peaceful believers. Two believers were found guilty of organizing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community, which was recognized as extremist. They were sentenced to 7 and 8 years in prison, they were taken into custody.\nThe punishment is in line with what the prosecutor recommended. There are no victims in the case. The believers insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not come into force and can be appealed.\nWhen addressing the court with his last word, Aleksey Berchuk said: \"For me, the humiliation of human dignity, undermining of the foundations of the constitutional order, and incitement of religious or racial hatred are unacceptable. During the whole trial, the prosecution failed to bring a single piece of evidence to the contrary! Sadly, the fact that I read the Bible, talked about biblical themes, and prayed to God with the perpetrators is considered by the prosecution as extremism.\"\nDmitriy Golik said in his last statement: \"I do not need any organization or legal entity to worship God. Moreover, I am against extremism, its manifestations, and the very incitement of religious hatred. I am against it, but for some reason, I am accused of it. What connection there is between me and extremism, I never understood.\"\nOn July 20, 2018, at least three Jehovah's Witnesses' homes in Blagoveshchensk were searched. A month before the searches, on June 22, 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur region opened a criminal case.\nIn the summer of 2018, operatives installed a listening device in the apartment of Dmitry and Kristina Golik. Thus, law enforcement officers invaded privacy, violating the rights of peaceful believers to inviolability of the home, personal, and family secrets. Dmitriy Golik has been under house arrest for almost three years. He says, \"This is certainly an ordeal for Kristina. We haven't been to her homeland in four years. My parents are also very worried about being persecuted, and it's bad for their health.\"\nAleksey Berchuk was detained at the Moscow airport on January 21, 2019. He spent 2 days in the capital's temporary detention center, after which he was forced to return with an investigator to Blagoveshchensk. \"I was worried about my wife, I didn't know what was wrong with her,\" Aleksey recalls. - The uncertainty added to my anxiety. After the temporary detention center, the FSB officers took me 6,000 kilometers away, to the Far East. We were separated from his wife for more than a month.\" The believer was under house arrest for about two and a half years.\nThe investigation lasted more than a year and a half, and the case went to trial on February 6, 2020. All witnesses in the case characterized the defendants positively. Nikolay Karendov, an FSB operative, admitted that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was not banned and that he had not heard any appeals violating Russian law at Jehovah's Witnesses' services.\nAleksey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik were prosecuted along with 13 other Jehovah's Witnesses from the Amur region.\nThe previous record for the severity of the sentence was set in the Krasnodar Territory. There, 63-year-old believer Aleksandr Ivshin was sentenced to 7.5 years in a penal colony; his sentence has already come into force; the believer is serving his sentence in the Rostov-on-Don penal colony.\nRussian security forces mistakenly interpret citizens' exercise of their constitutional rights as extremist activity. Numerous human rights organizations in Russia and beyond have repeatedly called for a halt to the wave of religious repression.\n\"All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Russian Constitution and Russia's commitments to OSCE and international law,\" the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on July 23, 2020.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-30T09:39:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_15e59de16489ddd1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_8f0b8ed561dd51a6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_a36c8f21e6785163.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_3faf78e222f63212.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/300939.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Breaks Records of Cruelty: in Blagoveshchensk, the Court Sentenced Believer Aleksey Berchuk to Eight Years in Prison and Dmitriy Golik to Seven Years","type":"news"},{"body":"After the verdict was announced, Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitry Golik were taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1, located at 55 Seryshevsky Lane, Blagoveshchensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210630","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits believers in a pre-trial detention center on Maxim Gorky Street in Rostov-on-Don. In some chambers it is stuffy, the temperature sometimes reaches +40 ° C, there is a fungus on the walls. Among the inmates there are patients with coronavirus.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210628","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","torture-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov is being transferred to a cell where prisoners who support the criminal subculture and who have previously served their sentences are kept. This contradicts Article 33 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\". It states that \"persons who are being prosecuted for the first time and those who have previously been held in places of deprivation of liberty must be held separately\".\nThere are 11 people in the 10-bed cell, mostly smokers. After suffering a viral disease, it is difficult for Alexander to be in such conditions.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210625","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Borys Symonenko is transferred to a pre-trial detention facility at Correctional Colony No. 7 of a special regime. PFRSI is designed for 220 seats and is located in the village of Pakino, Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-06-24T15:40:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210624","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Bagratyan is released from the pre-trial detention center. He served his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-06-15T18:45:29+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210615","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing is being held as a measure of restraint for Inver Siyukhov. The judge asks the investigator why he does not release the accused under house arrest. The investigator explains that, in his opinion, the believer can go into hiding. The court decides to extend Inver's detention in the pre-trial detention center until August 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-06-10T14:45:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210610","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Serebryakov is again visited by a lawyer in the pre-trial detention center. The believer is kept in a \"special unit\". Currently, there are 13 people in the cell out of 14 possible. Alexander has a good relationship with his cellmates. He feels much better, the consequences of the disease are almost gone. He has difficulty getting books.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210610","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer manages to inform his wife that he was transferred to the next (eighth in a row) transit point - SIZO-5 of Rostov-on-Don at the address: st. Tunnel, 4.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210609","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Dzerzhinsky District Court of Yaroslavl decides to extend the detention of 4 believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210609","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexander Ivshin is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Ryazan region. This is the seventh detention facility since the sentencing on February 10, 2021.\nAlexander is visited by a lawyer. According to him, the believer looks seriously aged and thinner. According to Alexander, in Novorossiysk he suffered a hypertensive crisis, besides, he is very exhausted by night journeys from one pre-trial detention center to another. You have to stay in the transit chambers for 6-12 hours, it's smoky and there is nowhere to sit. Currently, there are a lot of people in the room where Alexander is kept. Some of the neighbors were unfriendly at first, but Alexander's generosity and kind attitude towards them changed the situation for the better. The administration also began to treat the believer with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210601","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Danilov left pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Krasnodar Territory. He was transferred. Relatives are trying to establish where exactly.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-26T17:07:55+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210526","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin appeals to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan against the refusal of the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan to grant him visits with his wife. For 9 months, investigator Minnekhanov 6 times refuses a believer to meet with his wife Irina.\nSannikov draws the court's attention to the fact that the investigator's refusals, as well as the decision of the Vakhitovsky District Court, are a violation of the Federal Law \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\". The believer points out: \"I consider this inhuman and degrading treatment.\"\nThere are 12 people in a stuffy cell with 8 beds. Despite the difficulties, Konstantin maintains a positive attitude. He is grateful for the support and care of his wife and fellow believers who write letters to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20210526","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Serebryakov at the place of detention. The believer reports that after a serious illness he is on the mend, the administration of the pre-trial detention center provides medicines prescribed by doctors. Aleksandr says that he is being held in a \"special unit\", in a cell with 14 other prisoners. During his arrest, he received more than 2,000 letters with words of support in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210525","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy Usanov in the pre-trial detention center. He is kept in a 3-bed cell with prisoners who constantly smoke and use foul language. Nevertheless, Yuriy had good relations with his cellmates, as well as with the staff of the pre-trial detention center.\nIt is not easy for a believer to be separated from his bride, with whom they have a wedding scheduled for July 17. \"I would like to see her at least for a while,\" he complains. The head of the pre-trial detention center has not yet given permission for the wedding. Visits are also prohibited, with reference to the fact that Irina is being held in the case as a witness.\nIn the pre-trial detention center, Yuriy's chronic inflammation of the hearing organs worsened, which is aggravated by the fact that the window in the cell does not close tightly. Requests for medical help were initially ignored, and only after repeated appeals was he given medicine.\nNevertheless, the emotional state of the believer is good thanks to reading the Bible and letters from friends from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210524","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Viktor Stashevskiy in the pre-trial detention center. Viktor is being held in a 16-bed cell. He does not complain about his health, he is allowed daily walks. On April 24, he was given a copy of the Bible, but he has not yet received it. The believer regularly receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210520","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only after a week and a half of searching for Alexander, his relatives manage to find out that the believer is in SIZO-4 in the Samara region, located in the city of Tolyatti at the address: Tolyatti, st. Khryashchevskoye highway, 3. This is a transit destination where Aleksandr can stay for up to 45 days, and already the sixth place of imprisonment where a believer has been transferred over the past 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210510","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic, chaired by Judge Dmitry Dementiev with the participation of the prosecutor G. F. Nurgaliyeva, satisfies the appeal of Alexander Kutin on the measure of restraint and releases him from custody. The Resolution shall enter into force upon its proclamation. Aleksandr spent 15 days in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe court also decides to transfer the materials of the believer's case for a new trial to the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210429","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is taken out of the Syzran pre-trial detention center without informing the prisoner's relatives of his destination. According to paragraph 2 of Article 75 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, \"the administration of the pre-trial detention center is obliged to inform one of the relatives of the convict's choice about where he is going to serve his sentence.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 16, 2021, in the city of Maikop, the capital of the Republic of Adygea, searches were carried out supposedly at 5 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. Several men and women were questioned. 46-year-old Inver Siyukhov was placed in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nAt about 6 o'clock in the morning in Maikop, armed representatives of the FSB and the Investigative Committee (about 12 people in total) arbitrarily entered a private household, waking up Inver Siyukhov and his elderly parents. During the 5-hour search, printed publications and electronic devices were seized. No copies of the minutes were provided. On April 17, the Maykop City Court ruled to detain Inver. Two days later, he was transferred to SIZO-2 in Tlyustenkhabl, an urban-type settlement in the Teuchezhsky district of the Republic of Adygea. The believer's elderly parents are under intense stress.\nAccording to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Adygea, Inver Siyukhov is suspected of organizing and continuing the activities of a local religious organization in Maikop. According to the investigation, the unlawful actions of the believer were expressed in \"holding meetings using the Internet, coordinating speeches and services ..., ideological indoctrination of the residents of the Republic of Adygea in order to increase the number of followers of this religious extremist organization.\nOther believers, a married couple, were visited by 6 security officials, headed by investigator Murat Temzokov, in a rented apartment. All electronic devices, personal records and a bank card were seized from them, and then interrogated as witnesses in the criminal case of Siyukhov. The spouses were encouraged to cooperate with the investigation, threatening to change their status from witnesses to suspects: \"You are very young. Why do you need problems?\" The investigator inquired whether they knew Inver, whether they were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, and whether they held meetings. Around noon, the couple were released.\nAt 6:40 a.m., another believer was awakened by a loud knock on the door. A group of security officers with machine guns entered the house. Investigator Yuriy Chundyshko told the woman that she was being searched because she communicated with Inver Siyukhov. At the same time, another local believer was searched. After interrogation, both women were released.\nIt is noteworthy that after the 70th anniversary of the repressions in the USSR against Jehovah's Witnesses, searches of Russian believers are only becoming more frequent. During the week, the security forces staged 8 raids in 7 regions of the country. Several new criminal cases have been initiated.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-20T19:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/21/image_hu_a51ef0b1ebeea24f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/21/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/21/image_hu_c9b31a780bd206b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/21/image_hu_616c23480332511d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/21.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Persecuted in 65 Regions of Russia: Mass Searches Took Place in Adygea, One Sent to a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"Preventive measures for believers are extended until May 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210420","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Maykop City Court decides to choose a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of detention. Inver is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Adygea in the village of Tlyustenkhabl. He is placed in a cell where there are 5 beds for 7 people. Prisoners are forced to sleep in turns.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-04-17T14:45:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210417","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 14, 2021, at least 12 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Izhevsk (Udmurtia). 6 men between the ages of 31 and 56 were detained, two were taken into custody. The believers are accused under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities).\nDuring a search in the house of 56-year-old Petr Matsola, the security forces \"found\" a Bible included in the list of extremist materials, but the believer said that this book did not belong to him. According to him, even before the start of the search, in his absence, officers of the FSB and another special service entered his house. Electronic devices, bank cards, postcards and personal records were seized from Petr.\nThe next day, Maksim Derendyaev, 35, and Aleksandr Kutin, 38, were taken into custody. Sergey Ashikhmin, 47, was released without any preventive measure due to his health condition.\nUpdate. It became known that the searches of believers were carried out by officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee. During the raid, 14 people were interrogated. During the 7-hour interrogation of Sergey Ashikhmin, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee, A. Yu. Rodionov, tried to find out his role and responsibilities in the Christian congregation, claiming that the investigation had a video recording of a divine service with Sergey\u0026rsquo;s participation. On April 16, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk, Gulfiya Zamilova, imposed a ban on certain actions on Sergey Ashikhmin, taking into account the state of his health. The believer is forbidden to communicate with 13 witnesses in the criminal case. Investigative actions were carried out by the investigator for especially important cases P. S. Marin. This is the second case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Udmurtia: in neighboring Votkinsk, two more peaceful believers have been persecuted since January 20, 2021. One of them is in SIZO No. 1 in Izhevsk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-16T18:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/planting_hu_41cf1cde91a8ac73.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/planting.jpg","webp":"/news/common/planting_hu_c319d9d852e36c9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/planting_hu_70b3cf09f00af23b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/19.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Izhevsk, a Series of Raids Took Place in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two People Sent to Jail for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Tatyana Velizhanina is brought to Sochi from the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 to extend the measure of restraint. The Khostinsky District Court of Sochi extends the preventive measure for her: she must be kept in a pre-trial detention center until at least May 18, 2021. After the trial, the investigator continues to keep her in the local temporary detention facility, so she cannot receive letters yet.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20210416","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Tula issues a decision on the detention of Yevgeny Godunov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210416","regions":["tula"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the decision of the Industrial Court of Izhevsk, Maksim Derendyaev is placed in a pre-trial detention center at least until June 14, 2021. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210415","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Bochkarev is transferred from SIZO-2 to SIZO-1 in Kazan. The address for correspondence has changed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210415","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to send 4 believers to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Yaroslavl until at least June 11, 2021. These are the 45-year-old father of a young child Andrey Vyushin, 55-year-old Pyotr Filiznov, as well as the Kuznetsov spouses - 38-year-old Alexander and 33-year-old Maria.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210415","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Izhevsk, searches are being conducted at least 12 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. Officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee detain 6 men aged 31 to 56 years. Investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksey Rodionov interrogates Sergey Ashikhmin for 7 hours. After that, Aleksandr Kutin and Maksim Derendyaev were sent to custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210414","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court prolongs the detention of Vladimir Deshko. He is transferred from the Sochi detention center 400 km away to the Armavir pre-trial detention center-2.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20210414","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Tula decides to detain Putivskaya and Popkova. They are placed in Tula pre-trial detention center No. 1.\nYevgeny Godunov was also detained and charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210414","regions":["tula"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin, 63, is awaiting an appeal against the harsh sentence for his faith. The hearing will be held by conference call from the SIZO of the city of Syzran (Samara region) on April 15, 2021. Within 2 weeks, the pensioner was transported from one pre-trial detention center to another in five regions of Russia. On the way, he fell seriously ill.\nAleksandr was kept in basements of pre-trial detention centers. He spent a day in Novorossiysk, and then 4 days each in Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Saratov. In the Krasnodar Territory, the employees of the pre-trial detention center made holes in Aleksandr's dishes, he had only a spoon left.\nAfter becoming infected with the coronavirus, the elderly believer suffered the disease very hard: he fell and lost consciousness multiple times, and he lost his sense of smell, which has not yet recovered. He was not provided medical care. Aleksandr was very weak, so when he was transferred to the next jail, he could only carry a mattress. His personal belongings had to be distributed among the prisoners.\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-04-13T16:17:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_6a77e38509ec9996.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_9290b01ff03006ee.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_41deeed676f00452.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_e53c3d703f84b2e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/14.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","transfer","health-risk"],"title":"While Waiting for an Appeal Against the Harsh Sentence, Aleksandr Ivshin Visited Five Pre-Trial Detention Centers in 1.5 Months and Fell Seriously Ill","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 13, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted searches at 17 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireevsk (Tula Region). Gurami Lobadze, 58, was placed under house arrest and a case was initiated against him for his faith under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity).\nAccording to preliminary data, cases have also been initiated against three other believers - 35-year-old Yevgeniy Godunov, 39-year-old Angela Putivskaya and 42-year-old Yuliya Popkova. All three are placed in the temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. On April 14, 2021, the court ruled to send Yuliya Popkova and Angela Putivskaya to a pre-trial detention center # 1 located at ul. Maurice Toreza, 11 B, Tula, Tula region, Russia, 300012. They are deprived of their liberty at least until May 15, 2021, unless the appeal court decides to release them earlier. On April 16, the Central District Court of Tula ruled to place Yevgeniy Godunov into the same pre-trial detention center. He will spend 1 month and 11 days in custody. Most of the rest of the believers were released after the interrogation. They are witnesses in criminal cases against the above-named four accused. It is reported that during the searches the FSB officers behaved correctly and tactfully.\nAlso, on April 13, searches were carried out for the first time against law-abiding believers in the Yaroslavl Region. During this day, the number of regions that launched the persecution of citizens for believing in Jehovah God increased by 2 and reached 64.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/17/image_hu_bea2fac12737dda1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/17/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/17/image_hu_aa008de480c9a3aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/17/image_hu_5cd8c0921408473b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/17.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","ivs","sizo","interrogation"],"title":"Raids and Criminal Cases for Faith in the Tula Region. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Gripped Another Region of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Chebotareva extends the measure of restraint for Yevgeniy Korotun in the form of detention until September 30, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210412","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 6, 2021, the judge of the Abinsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Sergey Mikhin, sentenced Aleksandr Shcherbina to 3 years in a general regime colony, considering prayers and reading the Bible \"the activities of an extremist organization.\" The verdict can be appealed, the believer insists on his innocence.\nAfter the sentencing, Aleksandr was taken into custody in the courtroom. He was sent to a pre-trial detention center in Novorossiysk. On the eve he made his last word and, referring to his experience of participation in war, said: “I know firsthand what hatred and violence are,” and then added: “The Bible helps to get rid of such qualities. I study this book and try to follow the two main commandments that are given in it: to love God and to love your neighbor. I try to do good, respect the authorities, lead a calm and peaceful life. \"\nAleksandr Shcherbina came to the village of Kholmskaya to take care of his mother who is ill. Soon after, in November 2020, a criminal case was opened against him for his faith - for discussing the Bible, praying and chanting with fellow believers. The law enforcement officers considered these actions to be a continuation of the activities of the banned organization, although the believer was not a member of the legal entity liquidated by the court. Within three months, the case was investigated by the Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory, and on March 1, 2021, it was transferred to the court.\nPrior to the initiation of the criminal case, Aleksandr Shcherbina was a witness in the case against another believer from Kholmskaya, Aleksandr Ivshin, who had already received 7.5 years in prison on similar charges. On March 30, 2021, another Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, Oleg Danilov, was sentenced to 3 years in prison. All of them faced religious persecution after a raid carried out by the Krasnodar FSB together with representatives of the local Cossacks.\nTime and again, Russian courts have interpreted believers' exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of religion as extremist activity in violation of Article 28 of the Russian Constitution. According to the well-known religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanenko: \"I do not know of any court decisions or legislative acts that would say that the internal structure of Jehovah's Witnesses contradicts the legislation of the Russian Federation, and would contain any prohibitions related to the doctrine or cult practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-06T10:56:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_6a8b973c42c0fd53.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_b2e435e369d65f07.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_40d8896468deb4d7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_3baa32910a0a68d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/8.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"A third Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya has been sentenced to imprisonment for practicing his faith. Aleksandr Shcherbina received a three-year prison sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 2, 2021, a series of searches took place in Jehovah's Witnesses homes in the city of Taiga (Kemerovo Region). Yuriy Usanov, 29, was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk. A criminal case was opened against him under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; three pensioners are witnesses in the case.\nEarly in the morning on April 2, a search took place in Yuriy Usanov's apartment, after which he stopped communicating. His worried friends came to his house and found that the bars had been removed from the window, and the glass had been broken. Police was on duty at the entrance. As seen from the case files, the believer \"committed actions of an organizational nature aimed at the continuation and renewal of the illegal activities of the banned organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' in the form of convening meetings with the participation of residents of the city of Taiga.\"\nOn April 2, the judge of the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region F. V. Timofeev chose a preventive measure for Yuriy Usanov in the form of arrest until May 30. He is currently held in SIZO-4 of Anzhero-Sudzhensk.\nIn the apartments of 72-year-old Nataliya Kozlova and 65-year-old Zinaida Vasina, visually impaired, law enforcement officers entered under a disguise of their neighbors. Once inside, they announced: \"We are looking for everything connected with your God Jehovah.\" The searches lasted about 3 hours. Electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, personal notes, postcards with the words \"God\" and \"Jehovah\", bank cards and a Wi-Fi router were seized from Nataliya and Zinaida. The women were then taken to the investigative committee for questioning. The security forces were waiting for 69-year-old Lyudmila Gorovaya near her house, from where she was taken for interrogation, which lasted 3 hours.\nThe investigator was interested in whether the women knew Yuriy Usanov, whether they gave him money, whether he offered them literature, whether he involved them in any organization. The siloviki threatened the pensioners that their relatives would have problems at work. Older women have experienced severe stress.\nThe searches were carried out by officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee on the basis of a decree issued by the Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Major of Justice Y. V. Dudin. Yuriy Usanov became the 8th citizen of the Kemerovo region who was subjected to religious discrimination for believing in Jehovah.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-05T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/4.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","disability","elderly","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"A new wave of raids against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Kemerovo Region. Yuriy Usanov, 29, is arrested in the town of Tayga","type":"news"},{"body":"From 6:00 in the morning, a search has been conducted in the home of Yuri Usanov, it lasts about three hours. The believer was detained.\nInvestigator Yulia Dudina charges Yuri with committing a \"crime\".\nJudge of the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region Fyodor Timofeev chooses a measure of restraint for Yuri Usanov in the form of arrest until May 30, 2021. The believer was sent to SIZO-4 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210402","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 24, 2021, 4 believers were detained and placed in a temporary detention center in Sochi. Two days later, the court ruled to detain 54-year-old Vladimir Deshko and 48-year-old Tatyana Velizhanina in jail. 54-year-old Yuriy Logininskiy and 56-year-old Yuriy Moskalyov were placed under house arrest.\nAccording to available data, the believers are accused of “involvement in the activities of an extremist organization” (part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) simply because they had talked with local residents about God. FSB officers along with the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Krasnodar Territory took part in the arrest of the believers; the Investigative Committee of Russia is engaged in the investigation of the criminal case.\nVladimir Deshko and Tatyana Velizhanina will remain in the pre-trial detention center until at least April 18, 2021.\nThis is the eighth criminal case in the Krasnodar Territory. In December 2020, residents of Sochi, Vyacheslav Popov and Nikolay Kuzichkin were found guilty of organizing extremist activities. In February 2021, a 63-year-old Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, Aleksandr Ivshin, received an unprecedentedly harsh sentence: 7 and a half years in prison for his faith.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-03-29T10:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/18.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","new-case","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Four Jehovah's Witnesses Detained in Sochi, Among them a Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol leaves Yevgeny Zhukov in custody until May 27, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210325","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is being transferred from the Krasnodar pre-trial detention center to the Syzran Detention Center No. 2 of Russia in the Samara Region. It is almost 1500 km from his house. The believer is awaiting a court of appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210324","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kuzhelkov received letters from 73 countries, and some of them began correspondence. The believer has a Bible. The cell became warmer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210324","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov, are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 at 4 Tunnelnaya Street in Rostov-on-Don. The believers have been imprisoned for 1 year and 10 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210323","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Measures of restraint for believers are extended until April 20: Potapov is detained and Gobozev is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210318","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo satisfies the last of 4 cassation appeals of Yuriy Savelyev's defense to extend the period of his detention while the case is being considered by the court of first instance. Thus, Savelyev's detention from 22.10.2019 to 16.12.2020 is recognized as illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210310","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the morning of March 2, 2021, at least 4 families of local believers were searched in Syktyvkar. Four men were detained and placed in a temporary detention center. One of them, 59-year-old Sergei Ushakhin, was later released on recognizance not to leave. The rest are awaiting a court decision.\nUpdate. On March 3, 2021, the court left 42-year-old Aleksandr Kruglyakov in custody for 2 months. 49-year-old Andrey Kharlamov and 53-year-old Aleksandr Ketov were placed under house arrest. During the searches, Bibles, electronic devices and personal records were confiscated from believers.\nThe investigative measures took place shortly after the senior investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Komi Republic, Major of Justice Alexander Belov, opened criminal cases against five believers, including one woman. The investigation suspects them of organizing and participating in the activities of a banned organization (parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), considering as extremism peaceful religious meetings at which believers read the Bible, prayed and sang religious songs. Details are being specified.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-03-03T14:28:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_8336a88e7b240db6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_375c64878e52a448.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_80872f2ca2d37264.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_3d6947a76a8fb8db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/1.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Syktyvkar. Three believers are now behind bars","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bis zum 26. Februar 2021 erreichte die Zahl der Zeugen Jehovas, die sich gleichzeitig in russischen Kolonien und Untersuchungshaftanstalten befinden, 51. In nur 3,5 Jahren nach der Entscheidung des Obersten Gerichtshofs, 396 juristische Personen dieser Konfession im Land zu liquidieren, starben 230 Personen durch Orte der Inhaftierung.\nCurrently, 9 believers from 4 regions are serving their sentences in colonies, 39 more people from 16 regions are awaiting sentences while in jail. On February 24, Valentina Baranovskaya, a 70-year-old believer from Abakan, suffered a stroke as a result of criminal prosecution, and her 46-year-old son Roman became the 50th and 51st prisoners of conscience sent to jail for confessing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. They were taken into custody right in the courtroom after the sentencing - Roman is 6 years old, Valentina - 2 years in prison. On the same day, they were sent to a pre-trial detention center, from where they will be transferred to a colony, if the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia does not change the sentence.\nWhile behind bars, Russian believers have repeatedly faced inhuman treatment: they were beaten and tortured, deprived of medical care; they were unjustifiably placed in punishment cells and solitary confinement cells, deprived of the right of correspondence and even citizenship. For example, five believers from Saratov were severely beaten upon admission to Correctional Colony No. 1 in Orenburg. One of them, Felix Makhammadiyev, was hospitalized with serious injuries. Later, his citizenship was revoked and, after his release from the colony, he was deported to his country of birth, Uzbekistan. Konstantin Bazhenov also lost his citizenship.\nThe health of Kursk resident Artyom Bagratyan in the pre-trial detention center has deteriorated sharply, approaching critical in January 2020. On January 27, he was finally transferred from the Kursk SIZO to a hospital for examination, and his relatives were allowed to provide him with the necessary medicines. Bagratyan, who suffers from serious chronic diseases, is still behind bars.\nNikolai Kuzichkin, 69, with cancer, heart problems and a number of other serious diagnoses, spent six months in a pre-trial detention center without medical care.\nA resident of Chekhov near Moscow, Yuri Krutyakov, who has been imprisoned since March 2020 and is rapidly losing his sight, is also denied proper treatment in a pre-trial detention center.\nPre-trial detention center No. 3 of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory Detention Centre No.1 for Lipetsk Region Pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tambov region Correctional colony No. 1 in the Orenburg region Detention Centre No.2 for Republic of Tatarstan Dennis Christensen, the first prisoner of conscience from Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia, who is serving a sentence in Lgov, was forced by the colony administration to perform work that was contraindicated for him for medical reasons. He was repeatedly sent to the punishment cell for formal reasons such as improper dress code. Until now, he is in a special block together with those who maliciously violate the regime of the colony.\nSome believers spent significant periods in the pre-trial detention center. Yuri Savelyev, 66, has been held in Novosibirsk pre-trial detention center # 1 for more than two years.\nVadim Levchuk and Sergei Britvin were detained for 524 days, and later the court sentenced them to four years in prison.\nThe circumstances of believers in Russian colonies are covered in more detail in the section “Life in a colony”.\nThe international and Russian human rights communities consider what is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be nothing more than repression on religious grounds, since there is no evidence that any of the prisoners have committed a real crime.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-02-26T15:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_c5380c458bd2aeef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_db76009ffcd0dbbc.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_b786afcb84654837.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_776e9effa7ce0cc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/17.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","statistics","analytics","review","sizo"],"title":"More than 50 Jehovah's Witnesses are imprisoned - an anti-record of being persecuted for practicing one's faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Borys Symonenko, whose case is under preliminary investigation, is being transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Vladimir. Prior to that, the 65-year-old believer was in a pre-trial detention center at correctional colony No. 7 in the Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210226","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Shcherbakova announces the verdict: Valentina Baranovskaya is found guilty under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 2 years in prison in a penal colony. Roman Baranovsky was found guilty under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nIn the history of the latest repressions of Jehovah's Witnesses, the sentence has no precedent in 2 respects: for the first time the sentence of imprisonment was imposed on a woman and for the first time the sentence of imprisonment was imposed under the milder part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in a banned organization).\nThe verdict has not entered into force. It will be appealed.\nValentina and Roman Baranovsky were taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Khakassia (Molodezhny Square, 22B, Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, 655017).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210224","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 17, 2021, believers from the Kovrov city reported searches that had taken place at least at 6 addresses. 14 people were detained and taken away for interrogation, including elderly ones. Details are being clarified.\nUpdate. According to updated data, searches and inspections in Kovrov began at 7 am on February 17 and took place at 7 addresses. One of the believers was picked up straight from work in the morning at about 9 o\u0026rsquo;clock. Electronic devices were seized from the majority of citizens. The security forces interrogated 23 people, one of the women needed emergency medical attention, and she was taken to the hospital. During interrogations, FSB officers from Vladimir and Kovrov presented screenshots taken in the summer of 2020. They show that believers communicate with each other via video link. Most of those interrogated were released on the same day. One of the believers was released only the next morning. 65-year-old Boris Simonenko was sent by a court decision for 2 months to a pre-trial detention center (a room operating in the mode of pre-trial detention centers) at the Correctional Colony No. 7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Vladimir Region. The Vladimir Region has become the 62nd region of Russia where criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is being conducted under the guise of fighting extremism. Law enforcement officials consider peaceful religious services, during which believers read the Bible, pray and discuss Christian teachings, as a \"crime\". Despite the fact that the Russian courts did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, its confession is equated by the security forces as a continuation of the activities of the banned organization. Currently, 81 out of almost 200 initiated criminal cases are in courts. 26 sentences entered into force, 49 people were placed in places of detention, 9 of them - in colonies. There are no victims in any of the criminal cases and no harm had been caused to a person or any of the state structures.\nThe world community unequivocally classifies the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as unjustified religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-19T12:08:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/13.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Vladimir region siloviki join in religious persecution. A series of searches took place in Kovrov","type":"news"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the FSB D. A. Tyumenev makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against Boris Simonenko. He is charged with organizing the activities of a liquidated religious association (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAt the request of Tyumenev, the Kovrov City Court chooses Boris Simonenko a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210218","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On 12 February 2021, Dmitry Zozulya, Judge of the Savelovsky district court of Moscow, sent the peaceful believers Aleksander Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov to jail for two months, until 10 April 2021. The men will be kept in Detention Center #7.\nTwo days earlier a new wave of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Moscow and the Moscow region. In the early morning hours, at least 14 searches were conducted in the apartments of believers in Khovrino and the Levoberezhny district of Moscow, Khimki, and Chekhov. Several believers reported beatings.\nIt has become clear that operatives in 2019 established surveillance of believers and hidden video recording. The investigator believes that in August 2019, the believers held a friendly meeting at which they sang songs about God and read the Bible. In this regard, the investigation charges 43-year-old Aleksandr Serebryakov and 43-year-old Yuriy Temirbulatov with \"committing an intentional grave crime,\" for which they face a sentence of 6 to 10 years in prison under Part 1 Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organizing the activities of an organization banned by the court).\nThe court granted the petition of investigator Maria Rasskazova to choose the strictest measure of restraint for the believers in the form of detention. This decision was made even despite the fact that Aleksandr Serebryakov has an elderly disabled mother on his dependents. The suspects intend to appeal the unlawful court ruling.\nEarlier, on November 24, 2020, five more residents exercising their constitutional right to freely practice their religion without forming a legal entity were detained in Moscow. Searches and detentions in Moscow and throughout the country are taking place despite calls from international organizations to end the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and assurances from the authorities that the Jehovah's Witnesses faith is not banned in Russia.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-02-15T14:56:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_b2f7602125f54ebe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_de99acb6b37a6943.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_6e0cd92444077d24.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_2259fc288b0c3b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/7.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","siloviks-violence","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Two Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Moscow after the February 10 raids were placed in a detention center located in Verkhniye Polya","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow Dmitry Zozulya elects Alexander Serebryakov and Yuri Temirbulatov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. The men are in the Detention Center No. 7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Moscow (57 Verkhnie Polya St., Moscow, 109382).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210212","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 10, 2021, Aleksandr Kholoshin, judge of the Abinsk district court of Krasnodar region, pronounced the sentence on Aleksandr Ivshin, who was accused by local law enforcement officials of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code). The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. He will be kept in pre-trial detention until the sentence is enforced.\nThe investigation claimed that an elderly believer had been discussing the Bible with friends from a neighboring town by video link. The state prosecutor asked for 8 years in a penal colony.\nThere are no victims in the case. Aleksandr Ivshin insists on his complete innocence and will appeal.\nThe imposed punishment is the harshest of all sentences imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier, the court of the first instance sentenced Gennady Shpakovsky of Pskov to 6.5 years in prison, but that sentence was commuted on appeal. The most severe sentences were given to Sergey Klimov, Sergey Filatov, Dennis Christensen, and Artyom Gerasimov. All of them were sentenced to six years in prison. They are currently serving their sentences.\n\"Today's sentence is shockingly cruel,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"The news of such a cruel sentence for Aleksandr Ivshin came at the same time as the news from Moscow, where about 15 families of our co-religionists were invaded today by security forces armed with automatic weapons. Television shows innocent, law-abiding people being led with handcuffs behind their backs. No one can explain why they are a danger to the state. The Russian Supreme Court has officially clarified that the decision to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities did not include a ban on religion. Nevertheless, believers continue to be persecuted. In less than four years, 226 people have already passed through the torture chambers or are still there. In recent months, about 50 people at a time are in prison, dozens under house arrest. People are sentenced to 6-7 years in a penal colony, as in Soviet times, and many sentences are already in effect. Legal scholars, human rights activists, and even President Putin are publicly bewildered, but it is still happening. At the end of January 2021, it became known that the president gave a second instruction to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to investigate why believers are given guilty verdicts. I hope that the law and common sense will prevail and religious persecution of followers of our religion will stop.\nThis is not the first imprisonment sentence for believers in the Krasnodar region: In December 2020, two Sochi believers were sentenced by the Khostinsky District Court to 1 year and 1 month to 1 year and 10 months in prison. The believers managed to serve their sentences in the pre-trial detention center.\nIn April 2020, searches were conducted in nine houses of believers, including Aleksandr Ivshin, in Kholmskaya and Pavlovskaya villages of the Krasnodar region. During the searches, both he and his wife suffered a hypertensive crisis. \"I feel humiliated,\" he said. “All the time waiting for something bad to happen.\" After the search, he was taken to the Krasnodar FSB, where he was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. On the same day, criminal proceedings were instituted. While the investigation was ongoing, Aleksandr spent nine months under house arrest. In December 2020, the case was sent to court. Judge Holoshin managed to fit into four sessions.\nIn his last statement to the defendant, Aleksandr thanked his wife, Galina, his children, and grandchildren, as well as his friends, for their support during the difficult times for the family and for coming to court on the days of the trial. \"I have the feeling that I am not being tried for extremism, but for simply continuing to practice the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" he said. “In my last word, I want to assure you once again that throughout my life I have never shown aggression or hatred toward anyone. I was approached for advice and help, and it pleased me. . . . Dear court, my life position is based on biblical principles, where there is no extremism or violence. In view of the foregoing, I ask that I be fully acquitted and thereby regain my good name.\"\nThe entire logic of the prosecution was built on the speculative thesis that belief in God is \"an extension of the activities of an extremist organization. As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they practiced a particular religion, even though no religion is banned in Russia. After \"proving\" the defendants' confession, which they had never concealed, the investigation suggested that this fact should be automatically interpreted as the activities of a banned legal entity. The absurdity of this logic did not embarrass the court, and it equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals.\nForeign figures and organizations also unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the European Union foreign policy service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or bans on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-10T19:25:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/3/image_hu_58d06ab8975e5288.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/3/image_hu_9a203761f733905.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/3/image_hu_4050093b2ba75481.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/3.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"An unprecedentedly harsh sentence for a 63-year-old witness from the village of Kholmskaya: a seven-and-a-half year imprisonment for practicing faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated on January 26, 2021.\nOn January 21, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted searches in seven homes and workplaces of Votkinsk-based Jehovah's Witnesses. Mikhail Potapov, 42, was taken to Izhevsk detention center #1 and Sergey Gobozev, 63, due to poor health, was placed under house arrest and banned from using a telephone and the Internet.\nCriminal cases were initiated against the believers based on Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity). During the searches, electronic devices, postcards, photo albums, and Bibles were seized from the believers. Eyewitnesses reported that law enforcement officers planted publications that are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-01-22T14:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/5.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","house-arrest","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"In Udmurtia, security forces invaded the homes and workplaces of believers. There are detainees","type":"news"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Izhevsk chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Mikhail Potapov. Sergey Gobozev was placed under house arrest for health reasons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210122","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Anton Kuzhelkov in the pre-trial detention center. The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude, not to give up and not to lose heart.\nMikhail Medyulyanov attracts Nikolai Prokhorov as a defendant in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201229","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov is released from the pre-trial detention center, where he was held before and after the verdict until his release. In general, the believer spent almost 1 year and 3 months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20201229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Krutyakov is transferred to the FKU SIZO-3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Moscow Region. Now he is in a common cell, his quarantine has been lifted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201226","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Tambov Denis Lipatov, the one who authorized the searches, sends Anton Kuzhelkov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months, until February 20, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201225","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, at least 19 searches of believers take place in Kirsanov. One of the searches takes place at Anton Kuzhelkov's home in the town of Lukhovitsy, Moscow Region. He was taken for interrogation 350 kilometers from his home - to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee in Tambov. After the interrogation, the investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, Major of Justice Ivan Morozov, detains the believer.\nThe investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation P. Salnikov, in the presence of witnesses and a lawyer, seizes a mobile phone and a laptop with a charger from Nikolai Prokhorov. The seizure is carried out in the office at the address: Tambov, st. Karl Marx, 156. Photographs are taken during the seizure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201224","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, A. V. Podolyakin, elects Sergey Kazakov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 1 month and 20 days. Sergey was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2020-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20201223","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Updated December 24, 2020.\nOn December 21, 2020, at least 9 searches were conducted in the apartments of local believers in the town of Bikin and the village of Lermontovka (Khabarovsk Territory). A few people were detained for questioning, but were released the same day. Sergey Kazakov, a 46-year-old resident of Bikin, was arrested and sent to pre-trial detention center in Khabarovsk.\nSergey Kazakov came to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to take care of his mother after a stroke. There, in her apartment, he was found by investigators. A search was conducted, Kazakov was taken from Kamchatka and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk. His mother was left without help. Moreover, three days later she started to show symptoms of covid. It is probable that she was infected during the search. Sergey Kazakov's state of health in the pre-trial detention center is unknown.\nThe house of 48-year-old Vladimir Agarkov was broken into by the FSS officers early in the morning. The search was carried out by investigator of Vyazemsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Khabarovsk Krai and EAD Yakimov N. E., as well as three officers of the local FSB. A search warrant was issued by the court on 10 December 2020. Four telephones, a tablet and a laptop were seized. Immediately after the start of the search the believer's wife became ill, an ambulance was not called. During the interrogation, the investigator offered Vladimir to voluntarily surrender the items related to the \"crime\". Then Vladimir was taken for interrogation to the commandant's office of the Border Troops on Matronin Street. Vladimir notes that his wife was being watched because she often noticed the same car nearby.\nDuring other searches, bank cards, phones and flash drives were seized from the believers. Their relatives were also deprived of their bank cards. During interrogations, believers were asked questions such as: \"Are there Jehovah's Witnesses in your area and in neighboring villages?\" \"What time do you gather?\" \"Do you have a conference connection?\" \"Is there printed literature?\"\nIt later became known that in addition to Kazakov, at least one other woman from the town of Bikin was among the suspects in the criminal case for her faith.\nUpdate. At 06:00, a woman knocked on Olga Mirgorodskaya's apartment in the village of Lermontovka (50 km from Bikin) and asked to call an ambulance. When Olga's husband opened the door, law enforcement officers burst in and pinned him to the wall. They searched the apartment in the presence of a 9-year-old child for four and a half hours. Spiritual books, personal records, electronic media and a telephone were seized. Investigator A. Khanin said that a criminal case was opened against Olga. After the search the believer was taken for interrogation.\nLaw enforcement officers took advantage of worshippers' compassion, trying to get into their homes: they pretended to be people who were involved in car accidents, asking for help, etc. In search of \"extremist\" words, they searched for sheets of personal notes in trash cans and trays of kitty litter, confiscated Bibles in the Synodal translation, explaining this by the fact that it contained the name of God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-21T16:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/7.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in Khabarovsk Region, One Believer Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexei Ukhov is forbidden to receive and send correspondence in the pre-trial detention center. Presumably, this illegal decision was made by the court. It contradicts the law \"On the detention of suspects and accused\", according to which they \"are allowed to correspond with relatives and other persons without limiting the number of telegrams and letters received and sent.\" Earlier, a similar ban was imposed in the case of Yegor Baranov and Valery Moskalenko, who were in pre-trial detention, who spent 396 days in pre-trial detention center-1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. The defense believes that this is a way to influence the arrested in order to force them to give the testimony necessary for the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201221","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk judge Yekaterina Kashina sentenced Yuriy Savelyev to six years in a general regime colony for believing in Jehovah God on December 16, 2020. The believer will appeal the verdict and will remain in pre-trial detention center until the appeal hearing, where he has been held for 769 days, despite his deteriorating health.\n“Yuriy Savelyev was taken to the announcement of the verdict with a high fever, in a weakened state, but in a good mood, despite the fact that at the previous session the assistant prosecutor V. Petrov requested 8 years in prison for him. The believer intends to appeal the verdict in the near future,” Saveliev's lawyer said after the court session.\n“I do not hold any grudge or resentment against those because of whom I am in prison,” said Yuriy Savelyev, speaking in court on December 9 with his last word.\nAfter the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, Yuriy Savelyev did not stop adhering to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, reading the Bible and discussing religious topics with fellow believers and other people. The investigation considered this to be extremism, organization of the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Yuriy Savelyev considers these accusations absurd: “I have no enemies, and for my almost 67 years I have never been brought to administrative or criminal responsibility. I am against any form of violence, be it verbal, psychological or physical. \"\nDuring the trial, not a single evidence was presented that the believer had committed any real crime and pose a threat to society or the state. Nevertheless, Judge Yekaterina Kashina repeatedly extended the detention of a believer despite the pandemic. As a result, in prison, Yuriy Savelyev fell ill, besides, the elderly man had aggravated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.\nBased on the rules for recording the time of detention, Yuriy Savelyev has already served almost half of the term in the pre-trial detention center. He should be released in September 2023.\n“Such a severe sentence for an absolutely innocent elderly and not very healthy person violates the norms of humanism and undermines faith in justice. During the time of the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia, Yuriy Savelyev became the fifth prisoner of conscience to be sentenced to 6 years in prison just for participating in peaceful religious meetings. The Russian state indicated that this confession is not prohibited, only legal entities have been liquidated. But the courts continue to send ordinary people to jail, essentially saying that Jehovah's Witnesses have no right to freedom of religion,” said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe international community strongly condemns the criminal prosecution of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-16T18:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_5eef4bd2c94e64b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_3a0ff804e0b9ffca.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_1b99c63eac07c496.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_ef3dcb914e95814f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/4.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","sizo","282.2-1","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"A Novosibirsk court sentenced 66-year-old Yuriy Savelyev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, to six years in prison. He has already spent half of this term in pre-trial detention","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Tretyakov, judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, sends Artur Putintsev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. All three believers are being held in Detention Center No. 1 in the Oryol Region, a building known as the Oryol Central. This is one of the largest convict prisons in tsarist Russia, later a prison of the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20201214","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Orel sends Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The court leaves Artur Putintsev in the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20201211","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers say that they did not receive letters in the pre-trial detention center for some time. They do not return the Bibles that were taken away for examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20201211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 9, 2020, at least three searches in the apartments of local followers of religion Jehovah's Witnesses take place in the city of Oryol. It is reported that criminal proceedings have been initiated against three believers.\nThree believers were detained and sent to a temporary detention center: Vladimir Piskaryov, 64, Artur Putintsev, 50, and Vladimir Melnik, 54. A married couple was also taken in for questioning, but were later released. According to updated information, searches were carried out at 7 addresses. During the search of Artur and Lyudmila Putintsev's home, an investigator pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the dog. Electronic devices, books and personal records were seized from the believers. In one of the apartments, law enforcement officers seized a collection of poems, explaining that they were looking for anything that contained the name Jehovah.\nOn December 11, the Sovetsky District Court of Orel sent Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Artur Putintsev was left by the court in the temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. On December 14, the judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, Andrei Tretyakov, decided to send Artur Putintsev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. According to the official press-release of the Investigative Committee, the case was initiated under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. It is reported that the believers in Oryol and Naryshkino were identified by FSB and MVD officers. The believers are accused for \"convening meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, in which they personally participated and formed their summons.\"\nTwo local Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith: Dennis Christensen and Sergey Skrynnikov.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-09T16:58:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/3.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In the City of Oryol a Wave of Searches in the Apartments of Dennis Christensen’s Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"The management of SIZO-2 ignores Yuriy's complaints about the rapid loss of vision, without even recording the facts of the appeal. Considering that the believer has not received proper medical care before, he has not been able to receive the necessary treatment for almost 9 months, during which he has been in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201126","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 16, 2020 the Investigative Committee and OMON officers conducted searches at 9 addresses of believers in Gryazi town in Lipetsk region. Five believers, including a pensioner, had already spent the night in the detention center. The court will decide on their further restraint. Another 7 people were released by the law enforcers after the interrogation.\nOn November 17, the day after their arrest, 42-year-old Sergey Kretov and 46-year-old Yevgeniy Reshetnikov were charged under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code. The Gryazinsky City Court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for peaceful believers. Information on the situation of the remaining detainees is being clarified.\nUpdate. On November 18, 67-year-old Natalia Perekatiy, as well as Svetlana Vyrezkova and Tatyana Morlang, were released from custody, against whom the case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2. The searches were carried out on the basis of 5 criminal cases initiated by an investigator of the first department for investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Lipetsk region under part 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization and participation in activities of an extremist organization). Electronic devices and personal documents were seized from believers. In the nearest future the court will decide on the measure of restraint in relation to the detainees.\nAccording to the investigation, believers, professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, conducted worship services and sermons. The police interpreted such peaceful religious activity as continuation of the banned religious organization, although the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is not banned in Russia. An official report from the Investigative Committee states that \"during the meetings, the suspects discussed religious intolerance towards representatives of other faiths with those who came\". In the near future, the court will either require the investigator to prove the allegation - and then release the believers from custody, or take his word for it - and impose a preventive measure on the believers.\nThe security forces interpret such peaceful religious activity as a continuation of the activities of a banned religious organization, although the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nPreviously, three local residents had been prosecuted for their faith in Lipetsk region and held in a detention center for almost a year. At the end of October 2020, the court released them on their own recognizance.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-17T18:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_38cb693d06ccb8a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_9bd7a28d489bb10.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_9074776eda44a1a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_21a7dc5e789fe7a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/5.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Gryazi Town 5 Believers Imprisoned for Talking About God, Among Them a 67-year-old Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Kretov and Yevgeniy Reshetnikov are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Judge of the Gryazinsky City Court Andrey Fateev chooses a measure of restraint for peaceful believers in the form of detention and sends them to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2020-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20201117","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk seizes postal correspondence that arrives at the pre-trial detention center for Alexei Ukhov. In this regard, the administration of the detention center does not send the believer dozens of letters of support from relatives and fellow believers from all over the country. The reason for the ban was the petition of the senior investigator for especially important cases of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Y. A. Nelyubin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201117","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Ukhov is transferred to Detention Center No. 2 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Pionerskaya St., 23, building 2). This is 400 kilometers from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk, where he stayed earlier. The investigator believes that Alexei will be at this address for the entire duration of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk Natalia Vladimirova decides to take Ilya Degtyarenko into custody for 1 month and 28 days, that is, until December 28, 2020. The arrest was demanded by the investigation, claiming that the believer could hide only because he had a passport. The believer is placed in SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20201030","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba are released from the pre-trial detention center on their own recognizance. The believers spent 331 days behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20201029","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Ukhov was transferred to Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center No. 1 (6 Znamenshchikova Street), located 540 km from the believer's place of residence. There, Aleksey will undergo a compulsory psychiatric examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201027","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"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.\nTo 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.\nHe 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.\nUpdate. 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\u0026rsquo;s Bible and electronic devices, as well as a TV and modem. According to the believer, the authorities planted and immediately \u0026ldquo;found\u0026rdquo; 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\u0026rsquo;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.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-23T10:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/11.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"Law enforcement officials conduct another raid against believers in Russia's Far East. A 40-year-old man is detained","type":"news"},{"body":"The Vanino District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Aleksey Ukhov in the form of detention for 2 months. The meeting is being held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201023","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Krutyakov is transferred to the FKU SIZO-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Moscow, the so-called \"Butyrka\" (Address: 45 Novoslobodskaya Street, Moscow, Russia, 127055). In addition to Yuri, 20 other people are being held in the cell.\nRecently, Yuriy's eyesight has deteriorated sharply. In fact, he goes blind. However, numerous appeals about proper medical examination and treatment, which Yuri sent to the management of SIZO-7, where he was held until his transfer to a new place, remained unanswered. Yuriy hopes that the administration and employees of the medical unit of SIZO-2 will be able to ensure his right to treatment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201017","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yekaterina Kashyna chose not to release the believer from pre-trial detention center despite the pandemic or the cassation court's decision on the illegality of his further detention. Court hearings include the testimony of an Orthodox sectologist. And because of a secret witness, the believer even filed a recusal against the judge.\nUpdate. On October 20, 2020, the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk extended the period of detention of Yuri Savelyev until January 22, 2021. Investigators accused Saveliev of organizing extremist activities. The believer insists on his innocence, stating that he just practiced his religion. How are the hearings in the Leninskiy District Court of Novosibirsk going?\nSecret witness and challenge to the judge. The main evidence against the believer is the testimony of the witness under the pseudonym \"Natalia Ivanova.\" Unsubstantiated secrecy of a prosecution witness in itself grossly violates Saveliev's right to a fair trial, as it deprives him of the opportunity to cite facts that would question the testimony of the anonymous witness. But worse: On September 16, 2020, Judge Kashina decided to accept and publicize the written testimony of the secret witness even without calling him to the court and allowing the believer to ask counter questions - though through a sound link with the change of the witness' voice. The defense filled a recusation against the Judge Kashina, but she rejected it. (Judge Kashina issued a private order to the prosecutor on abuse of procedural rights for failing to ensure the appearance of a secret witness in court).\nOrthodox anti-Cultist against a believer. On September 16, 2020, the court interrogated specialist Oleg Zaev, who spoke on behalf of the Anti-Cultist Center by proxy signed by Orthodox activist Aleksandr Dvorkin. The defense noted that at the time of his testimony to the investigator, Zaev, who had no special education, was a professor of sectology at the Novosibirsk St. Makariev's Orthodox Theological Institute (the Institute closed in 2019). The \"Specialist\" did not hide his Orthodox views; he had a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses and considered them dangerous to the Orthodox country and the government.\nThe court's unwillingness to soften the preventive measure. On April 2020, Judge Kashina extended the detention of a 66-year-old believer in the courtroom in the absence of the audience due to the coronavirus epidemic. He tried to tell the judge that at the height of the pandemic, one of his cellmates was doing work in the pre-trial detention center that involved contact with large numbers of people. However, he does not wear a mask or gloves, which creates a high risk of infection. The judge was not touched by these arguments. Five months later, on September 9, 2020, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction declared illegal the decision on prolongation of Yuri Saveliev's detention until April 22, 2020. On this basis, the believer again appealed to Judge Kashina for mitigation of the constraint measure, as she had every reason to do so. Unfortunately, the judge refused to transfer the believer at least to house arrest. Saveliev is still in custody, which was extended until 22 October 2020.\nWhat happens to Saveliev in the pre-trial detention center. The believer remains in a positive mood and does not complain about anything. It is known, however, that in June 2020, Saveliev faced short-term pressure from the administration of the pre-trial detention facility because of a religiously-motivated refusal to vote on amendments to the Constitution. Physically, he feels relatively well, maintains a healthy lifestyle, does gymnastics, sings, and draws. The lawyer who visited said that he smiles, jokes, feels supported by God, and sees many positive things happening to him behind bars. Saveliev reported that he was greatly supported by letters from believers and other sympathetic people. Incoming letters he carefully registers in notebooks. For June 2020 it has already received more than 7200 letters from 54 countries of the world. He is very grateful for such support.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-10-16T13:35:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_5578fdb4fdc9eda4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_3ca8e1a03ace9af3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_53f4427e17dc263a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_93a51d68609bc5b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/8.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","secret-witness","health-risk"],"title":"700 days in detention. How the Novosibirsk court is deciding the fate of the 66-year-old believer Yuriy Savelyev","type":"news"},{"body":"Updated 10/06/2020\nOn October 1, 2020, in Sevastopol, security forces searched at least 9 local residents. The next day, the court sent Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov, Vladimir Sakada and Igor Schmidt to the pre-trial detention center. A few years ago, law enforcement officers unsuccessfully tried to plant a banned book on believers.\nThe raid began early in the morning and lasted several hours. During a search of the Maladyka spouses, the investigator found a bag of milk powder in the refrigerator. Stating that the inscriptions on the package resemble the formula of a narcotic drug, the investigator unexpectedly sent the spouses for compulsory examination in a neuropsychiatric dispensary. (Later the examination confirmed that the package contained milk.)\nAfter the searches, the security forces took 5 believers for interrogation to the branch of one of the local law enforcement agencies. In the evening, Natalia Maladyka was released, and Vladimir and three of his fellow believers were sent to a temporary detention center.\nThe next day, October 2, 2020, the Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol sent 4 believers into custody in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Address: 4 Lenin Blvd., Simferopol, 295006). 50-year-old Yevgeny Zhukov, 57-year-old Vladimir Maladyka and 50-year-old Vladimir Sakada were arrested until November 30, 48-year-old Igor Schmidt - until November 23, 2020. A criminal case was opened against them under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAt least one of the arrest decisions was made by Judge Viktor Klimakov. He did not heed the arguments of believers that after the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, they did not take part in it, and the FSB accuses them of ordinary religion.\nCriminal prosecution for belief in Jehovah has been going on against the residents of Sevastopol for more than a year. Sevastopol resident Viktor Stashevskiy defends his beliefs in court. The 10-minute film tells about how the persecution cripples the lives of innocent Crimean citizens.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-02T14:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1_hu_f27eb250635cb8ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1_hu_256690efee477926.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1_hu_a5f751154a004374.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/1.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"After the searches in Sevastopol, four peaceful believers were sent to a detention center for at least two months","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol sends Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov, Vladimir Sakada and Igor Schmidt to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20201002","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol sends Igor Schmidt to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20201002","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The confusion on the faces of prosecutors on September 21, 2020 was caused by the decision of the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction that the detention of of four Jehovah's Witnesses from Makhachkala was illegal. Three men and one woman spent twelve months in the pre-trial detention center and have already been under house arrest for four months.\nIn June 2019, in four cities of Dagestan, masked and armored FSB officers armed with automatic rifles invaded 13 houses of believers. Peaceful law-abiding Makhachkala residents - Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev and Marat Abdulgalimov - were sent to prison by the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala.\nThe Court of Cassation found illegal the extension of their preventive measure from January 27 until May 27, 2020. It is noteworthy that in March 2020 this Fifth Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk had already granted a complaint about the extension of the arrest of Makhachkala residents Karpova, Dergalev, Abdulgalimov and Abdullaev. As a result, 2.5 months later they were released from the pretrial detention center under house arrest.\nAnd this was not the first cassation decision on the arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, in December 2019, the Eighth Court of Cassation overturned an appeal decision on the detention of believers of Kemerovo Britvin and Levchuk, and later, in September 2020, this court declared illegal the extension of the detention of Novosibirsk resident Saveliev.\nThese cassation decisions clearly demonstrate that district and appellate courts in Jehovah's Witnesses cases only listen to the opinion of the investigating authorities and do not go into detail. As a result, dozens of believers spend many months in jail or under house arrest until conscientious investigators or judges understand that they do not pose a threat to society and the state. The courts of first instance are obliged to examine whether there are facts that justify the appointment or extension of a detention. The fact that a person practises the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not sufficient to warrant arrest and detention. As a rule, the investigation cannot present facts of extremist statements or actions by Jehovah's Witnesses to the courts.\nCassation courts of general jurisdiction are an innovation in Russian legal proceedings. Cassation courts of general jurisdiction started their work on October 1, 2019. A total of nine cassation courts were established in Saratov, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo and Vladivostok.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-09-25T14:47:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/9/image_hu_6ebb3495105c04f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/9/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/9/image_hu_65044d7a903c19aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/9/image_hu_95b4e742939a5773.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/9.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"The Detention of Believers From Dagestan Was illegal. This Was the Ruling of the Fifth Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk Sergey Nakonechny extends Yegor Baranov's detention in the pre-trial detention center until November 25, 2020. During the hearing, he satisfies the motions of the defense and attaches to the case the opinions of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, as well as the letters and positive characteristics of the accused.\nInvestigator S. V. Nemtsev reports that by mid-September Baranov received 1269 letters. However, they are not handed over to the believer in connection with the imposed ban on correspondence, but are sent to the investigator for study.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200921","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Krutyakov is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow. It is kept in a chamber without hot water and a refrigerator, so it cannot receive perishable food.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200920","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Voronezh Regional Court is holding an appeal hearing on the measure of restraint. Igor Popov is transferred to house arrest after 66 days in a pre-trial detention center. Another believer, Aleksey Antyukhin, is left behind bars by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200916","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing of the case continues in the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, chaired by Judge Ekaterina Kashina.\nThe state prosecutor postpones the planned interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Natalia Ivanova. The judge points out that September 16, 2020 is the deadline for questioning a secret witness. The state prosecutor declares that he will provide information about the readiness of \"Ivanova\" at the next meeting.\nIn connection with the cassation decision of September 9 on the illegality of the penultimate imposition of a preventive measure in the form of Savelyev's detention, the lawyer submits a motion to change the measure of restraint from the pre-trial detention center to a milder one. Judge Ekaterina Kashina refuses. At the moment, the 66-year-old believer has been behind bars for 677 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200915","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction of Kemerovo cancels the decision of the court of first instance and the appeal decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Court on the extension of Yuri Savelyev's detention until April 22, 2020. Savelyev is still in custody, which was extended until October 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200909","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region decides to take Yevgeny Korotun into custody. This happens at a court session, about which the believer is warned only half an hour before the start of the hearing.\nDuring the trial, Yevgeny is accused of putting pressure on witnesses without any argumentation or evidence. Since Yevgeniy has a passport, it is alleged that he \"can hide from the investigation.\"\nThe judge considers such arguments significant and changes the measure of restraint from house arrest to detention. The believer is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Tomsk.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2020-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20200907","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Sannikov was detained and sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20200827","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Dyadkin, a resident of Gukovo, who has recently been living in Kursk, comes to the investigator for questioning. There they are trying to convince him to incriminate himself - to confess to extremist actions that the believer did not commit. The security forces are also interrogating Alexei's wife.\nThe believer is detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. On the same day, the court issued a decision to detain Aleksey for a period of 1 month and 16 days. After that, Aleksey was imprisoned in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200821","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200821","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don Vladimir Khudaverdyan grants the investigator's request to detain Vladimir Popov. Vladimir is detained in a pre-trial detention center for a period of 1 month and 25 days - until October 7, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200814","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers detain Vladimir Popov, who has been put on the federal wanted list, in the city of Zverevo (Rostov Region). He is suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200812","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 8, 2020 at least 12 local believers were searched in the cities of Gukovo, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov-on-Don and Kursk. The next day, 51-year-old Oleg Shidlovsky, 40-year-old Evgeny Razumov, 39-year-old Alexei Gorely and 30-year-old Nikita Moiseyev were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nUpdate. On August 12, security forces detained 53-year-old Vladimir Popov in the city of Zverevo. According to preliminary information, he was taken to a branch of one of the law enforcement agencies in Rostov-on-Don. The raids were held as part of a criminal case, which was initiated on August 7 by a senior investigator of the Department of Investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Rostov region, V.V. Pyatitsky in relation to 6 believers: Nikita Moiseyev, Alexei Gorely, Evgeny Razumov, Alexei Dyadkin, Oleg Shidlovsky and Vladimir Popov. They are suspected of organizing extremist activities (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigation, the believers' fault is that they called meetings of believers, prayed and sang songs to God Jehovah. According to several law enforcement officers during the searches, an FSB agent had been watching believers for a long time.\nThe day after the initiation of the criminal case the raids began. Most of them took place in the believers of Gukov residents. FSB and Investigative Committee officers invaded civilian homes in the early morning. In one of the cases, law enforcers introduced themselves as workers of the water supply organization. Mobile devices, computer hard drives, flash drives and personal records were seized from believers, as well as from some relatives who do not share their religious views.\nAs part of this criminal case, searches were also carried out at Alexei Gorely in Rostov-on-Don, at Nikita Moiseyev in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, and at Olga Dyadkina, who lives in Kursk.\nAs a result, Oleg Shidlovsky, a school physical education teacher, Evgeny Razumov, a driller, Alexey Gorely, an accountant, and Nikita Moiseyev, a construction worker and a household appliance repair foreman, were detained and taken to the Rostov-on-Don temporary detention facility. On August 9th , the Leninsky District Court sent all four of them under arrest for one month 29 days, until October 6th, 2020.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-10T16:43:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/4/image_hu_c0184c93d34600fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/4/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/4/image_hu_f1b0e43ab6e228ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/4/image_hu_1891715eab3e2f82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/4.html","regions":["kursk","rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","ivs"],"title":"In Rostov and Kursk Regions at Least 12 Searches Took Place. Four Believers Were Sent to the Detention Center for Religious Views","type":"news"},{"body":"Based on the decision of the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, four believers are sent to the pre-trial detention center for 1 month and 29 days - until October 6, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200809","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers Yuriy Galka and Anatoliy Yagupov reported about the inhumane treatment through a lawyer, who visited them in the detention center. On the day of their detention they were strangled with bags and beaten, demanding a confession. Earlier, believers Bokov, Katyrov and Korol described the beatings.\nLawyers tried to get to Yagupov and Galka from the moment they were taken to pre-trial detention center #1 in Voronezh region, but the lawyer was allowed to see them only after 2 weeks, July 29 and 30.\nIt became known that 44-year-old Yuri Galka had a broken rib. The torture began during the search and continued during the interrogation. The FSB officers twisted his hands behind his back and put the bag over his head, tightening until Yuri began to suffocate. At this time, he was beaten, breaking a rib. He was required to confess to extremism and links with Jehovah's Witnesses. Upon admission to the pre-trial detention center, a rib fracture was revealed, but the staff of the institution, taking advantage of Yuriy's state of shock, wrote in the documents that he received injuries by household.\n51-year-old Anatoliy Yagupov was tortured in a similar way: he was put a bag over his head and beaten on a chair, on which the interrogators put a Voronezh resident.\nA total of five Voronezh Jehovah's Witnesses are now complaining about torture by law enforcement officials. Despite the torture, the Voronezh believers refused to admit guilt for crimes they had not committed. They recorded injuries in a medical facility to protest the actions of law enforcement officers.\nOn July 13, 2020 more than 110 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses houses were conducted in Voronezh and the region.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-06T13:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/2/image_hu_d743890388eb1282.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/2/image_hu_6e320afd3ad9608f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/2/image_hu_88b90d2dfd06aa3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/2.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","sizo","health-risk","siloviks-violence","search","interrogation"],"title":"Two additional Voronezh-based believers reported being tortured during detention. Both are imprisoned and one has a broken rib","type":"news"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba until October 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200730","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom's lawyer once again visits the believer in the place of detention. He says that at the time of arrival at the pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Krasnodar, there were 15 people in the cell for 10 beds, so he and 4 other people spent the entire first night without sleep. The next day, the situation changed and everyone was provided with a personal bed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200730","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Gerasimov is transferred to SIZO-1 in the Krasnodar Territory. On the day of his arrival, 15 people find themselves in a cell designed for 10 places, as a result of which Gerasimov and four other prisoners spend the night without sleep. The next day, 10 people remain in the cell. How long the believer will stay in the pre-trial detention center before being transferred to the colony is still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200727","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk Yulia Yudakova extends the detention of Yegor Baranov until September 25 inclusive. The defense is appealing against this court ruling.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200717","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 110 searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses on July 13, 2020. The homes are located across seven residential communities in the City of Voronezh region. At least two believers reported severe beatings for refusing to provide smartphone passwords. Ten men between the ages of 24 to 56 were sent to the pre-trial detention center. This news is being continuously updated.\nWhat is known about the arrests and detentions of believers. On July 14 and 15, 2020, the Leninskiy District Court of Voronezh sent ten believers into custody for 1 month and 22 days (until September 3): Antyukhin Aleksey (44), Bayev Sergey (47), Veselov Mikhail (51), Galka Yuriy (44), Gurskiy Valeriy (56), Nerush Vitaly (41), Pankratov Stepan (24), Popov Igor (54), Sokolov Yevgeniy (44) and Yagupov Anatoliy (51).\nOn the day of the search these believers were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation on Ordzhonikidze Street in Voronezh. They sat in a prisoner transport bus, and were taken one by one to the building, handcuffed to the escort. It became known that overnight they were sent to an isolation ward in the village of Nizhnedevitsk.\nWhat is known about the beating of believers. Believers Aliaksandr Bokov and Dmitriy Katyrov were severely beaten and abused, as they refused to provide passwords from their mobile devices. During the search, 30-year-old Aleksandr Bokov was beaten at face, head and ribs by the guards, then he was forced to do push-ups on the floor and squat until he was exhausted. At that moment Aleksandr's friend, 23-year-old Dmitriy Katyrov, rang the doorbell. Law enforcers brought Dmitriy into the apartment, demanded the password from his device, and after the refusal they threw him on the floor and started beating his back and neck with their legs, breaking out hands and fingers to unlock the phone with his fingerprint. Because of what was happening, Aleksandr Bokov's wife got sick and needed the help of an ambulance team. The police threatened the believers with further beatings if they reported the beatings to the doctors. Later, after the interrogation, both believers were released. They documented the injuries at the medical facility to protest the law enforcement officers.\nIt is also known that during the storming of Yuriy Galka's apartment, after his front door was broken into, the law enforcement officers knocked him down and pressed him face to the floor. The damage he suffered is unknown, as he was sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nWhat is known about the geography of searches and their number. The official press release the Investigation Committee reports 110 searches. of the Investigation Committee reports 110 searches. The raids were confirmed in the city of Voronezh, towns of Borisoglebsk, Lisky, Pavlovsk, Ramon, Semiluki, the villages of Nikolsky and Babyakovo. The search was also carried out in the city of Stary Oskol (Belgorod region) at a believer who moved there from Voronezh. A total of approximately 100 addresses searched were confirmed by local Jehovah's Witnesses, including apartment and workplaces, garages, and the like.\nWhat is known about the manner in which the law enforcers conducted the searches. According to eyewitnesses, Rosgvardiya employees did not wear the means of epidemiological protection. However, they were armed with assault rifles. During the searches, the Bible, personal diaries, postcards, photographs, computers and telephones were seized from believers. Book volumes with verses by Joseph Brodsky and Bulat Okudzhava were also confiscated from one family. The search orders were issued by the Leninskiy District Court of Voronezh.\nWhat is known about the way the interrogations were conducted. The majority of believers, at least 40, including women, were taken for interrogations to the Center for Counteracting Extremism, to Sredne-Moskovskaya Street in Voronezh. There, they were kept in a big hall under the supervision of armed gunmen and interrogated one by one. During the interrogations some of investigators exerted pressure and used foul language. At least one believer was beaten in the back of the head with his palm.\nWhat do we know about a criminal case. On July 3, 2020, the 1st Department of Investigation of Special Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Voronezh Region initiated 2 criminal cases under paragraph 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against the above mentioned believers (Antyukhin, Bayev, Veselov, Galka, Gursky, Nerush, Pankratov, Popov, Sokolov, Jagupov). Ten days later, 2 cases were merged into one proceeding. The case is being investigated by investigator for especially important cases I. Bichev, with the active participation of the head of the department Andrey Shevelev. The investigation of the case is under control of the head of the regional investigation department.\nThe previous sad record for the number of searches was set by the law enforcement agencies of the Transbaikalia: on 10 February, they conducted searches in 50 houses of believers. Other anti-records were recorded in Sochi (36 searches) and Nizhny Novgorod (35 searches). Law enforcement officers from other regions participated in each of the raids. Following the Supreme Court decision against Jehovah's Witnesses, more than 1,000 believers' homes were searched as of mid-July 2020.\nVoronezh Region became the 57th region of Russia (85 in total in Russia), where criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated.\nThe ban and liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in 2017 have long since escalated into real persecution of ordinary believers, most of whom have never been members of the liquidated legal entities. This legal \"collision,\" as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation put it, is crippling the lives of hundreds of people. Recently the number of criminal cases has increased significantly, with dozens of men and women behind bars. The believers await the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where they have filed a complaint.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-16T09:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/17.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","sizo","interrogation","review","statistics","analytics","torture"],"title":"Two believers beaten and ten sent to prison in the largest raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Voronezh","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Petrov of the Vologda City Court extends his detention until 18.09.2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200716","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Voronezh sends ten believers into custody for 1 month and 22 days (until September 3, 2020). Sergey Baev, Yuriy Galka, Stepan Pankratov, Igor Popov and Anatoly Yagupov are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 3 on Antokolsky Street in Voronezh. Aleksey Antyukhin, Mikhail Veselov, Valery Gursky, Vitaliy Nerush, Yevgeniy Sokolov — in pre-trial detention center No. 1 on Zhelyabov Street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200714","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court rejected the appeals against Yuriy's detention, leaving him in a pre-trial detention center until October 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200710","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to change Yevgeniy Grinenko's measure of restraint in the form of detention to house arrest. The total period of stay in the pre-trial detention center was 58 days. During this time, Yevgeny's health deteriorated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200708","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Kursk Tatyana Pozdnyakova again extends the period of detention of believers. Andrey Andreev, Artem Bagratyan and Alevtina Bagratyan will remain in the pre-trial detention center at least until September 11, 2020, Andrey Ryshkov - until September 9.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200707","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov is appealing to a higher court against another decision to extend his detention. The hearing in the Krasnodar Regional Court is held behind closed doors due to the epidemiological situation. The believer defends his right to freedom of religion. The defense asks the court to take into account the opinion of the UN Working Group, as well as the fact that a long stay in the pre-trial detention center affects Vyacheslav's health. Nevertheless, the court upholds the chosen measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200706","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov are transferred to another pre-trial detention center - SIZO-1 in the Astrakhan region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200702","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Syktyvkar City Court of the Komi Republic V.G. Shpileva extends the period of detention of Gennadiy Polyakevich in the pre-trial detention center for 3 months - until September 28, 2020. According to the judge, it is impossible to soften the measure of restraint, since the believer is accused of \"committing an intentional grave crime.\" This is how the court ruling calls Polyakevich's meetings with fellow believers. It also states that the believer spoke of \"the need to continue serving Jehovah, despite the persecution by the authorities.\" With this wording, Judge Shpileva ignores the explanations of the government and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200626","regions":["komi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken to court to familiarize himself with the materials of the petition.\nUpon his return, Andrey is unexpectedly transferred to another cell, not allowing him to collect his belongings and personal hygiene items. As a result, he does not have the opportunity to brush his teeth, shave, use soap for more than 4 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200625","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the FSB investigator for the Khabarovsk Territory, Nemtsev S.V., achieved an unlawful ban on receiving and sending letters for Yegor Baranov, who is sitting in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. According to the law \"On the detention of suspects and accused\", they \"are allowed to correspond with relatives and other persons without limiting the number of telegrams and letters received and sent.\" The defense believes that this is a way to influence the arrested person in order to force him to give the testimony necessary for the investigation, and will appeal the relevant decision. ","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200624","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Bochkarev, who has been in jail for 5 months, has his arrest extended again - until August 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200622","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to imprison Shulyuk in a pre-trial detention center for two months. The judge refuses to includethe opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention because it is allegedly irrelevant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200619","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk is holding a hearing in the case of Yuri Savelyev - the first after the end of quarantine in a pre-trial detention center, where the 66-year-old believer has been held for more than a year and a half.\nInitially, the court dismissed the request for Yuriy's release. Although the current preventive measure expires only on July 22, the detention of the believer is extended for another three months, that is, until October 22, 2020.\nThe court allows three listeners to be present in the hall, but only in masks and with social distance.\nThe court continues to examine the written evidence in the case. The protocols of the searches are read out, as well as a detailed transcript of conversations about the Bible, prayers and religious songs that are imputed to Savelyev. For about an hour, those present listen to discussions of biblical texts, including examples from the life of Jesus Christ.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200618","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov were transferred to Detention Center No. 2 in the Astrakhan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200617","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 11, 2020, Natalia Senchenko and Olga Ivanova, judges of the Kirovskiy district court of Astrakhan, decided to send three believers to the detention center: Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, and Yevgeniy Ivanov. All three have families. Judge Nadezhda Melikhova put under house arrest Yevgeny Ivanov’s wife, Olga.\nJune 9, 2020 in Astrakhan, about one hundred of law enforcement officers searched two dozen families of local Jehovah's Witnesses. That day, investigators detained for three days Sergey Klikunov, 45, Rustam Diarov, 46, Evgeniy Ivanov, 43, and his wife, Olga Ivanova, 37.\nAs of June 12, 2020, 34 people are languishing in Russian prisons for their faith in Jehovah. Another 142 people, after having been behind bars for several years to many months, have been changed to a milder measure, such as house arrest, a ban on certain actions, or a not-exit subscription. The longest person behind bars is Dennis Christensen from the City of Orel (3 years and 1 month). The longest sentence was passed on 61-year-old Gennady Shpakovsky from Pskov (6.5 years in prison).\nThe Astrakhan judges, justifying their decision on the strictest measure of restraint for peaceful believers, draw attention to the fact that they carried out \"an encroachment directed against the foundations of the constitutional order.” In particular, Judge Natalia Senchenko notes in her ruling that \"Diarov's involvement in the crime is confirmed ... by the testimony of a witness about the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose activities differ from the traditional principles of Christianity.”\nUnder what article are the Astrakhan believers charged? On June 8th , a criminal case was brought against them by a senior investigator for investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Astrakhan region, N. P. Banko. Three men are charged under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity). Olga Ivanova (she's the judge's namesake) is charged with part 2 of article 282.2 (participation in extremist activities). The charges directly go back to the Supreme Court decision of 20 April 2017 on liquidation of all registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. Although religion itself was not banned, which is emphasized by the Russian government, law enforcement officials do not distinguish between the inherent right of everyone to freedom of religion and participation in the activities of an organization whose activities are prohibited by the court.\nLawyers and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-06-12T13:03:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony4_hu_fbb0f6cf1b601cc0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony4_hu_51441f02ed3083fc.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony4_hu_d4437787afa78821.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony4_hu_ceca8910487919d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/11.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","families","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Astrakhan, the Court Put Three Jehovah's Witnesses Behind Bars and Placed the Wife of One of Them Under House Arrest From Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 11, 2020, the Kirov District Court of Astrakhan, chaired by judge Olga Ivanova, ruled to imprison Sergey Klikunov, 45, for 2 months. It is still unknown what happens to the three other believers, detained during mass searches in Astrakhan on June 9.\nThe criminal case against Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, Evgeniy Ivanov and his wife, Olga, was initiated on June 8 by the senior investigator for investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Astrakhan region, N. P. Banko. The next day a series of searches in the houses of believers took place. Klikunov, Diarov and Ivanov are charged under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activities). Olga Ivanova (namesake of the judge) is also charged under article 282.2, part 2 (organization of extremist activities).\nThe decision of the Kirovskiy district court notes that Sergey Klikunov is married and positively characterized at his workplace, which paradoxically \"indicates the possibility of the suspect to hide from the investigation.”\nThe only reason for persecution of civilians in Astrakhan is their faith in God Jehovah. Law scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-06-11T16:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/10.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"In Astrakhan, the Believer Sergey Klikunov Was Sent to the Pre-Trial Detention Center for Two Months Because of His Religious Views","type":"news"},{"body":"Natalia Senchenko and Olga Ivanova, judges of the Kirovsky District Court of Astrakhan, send Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeniy Ivanov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. All three have families. Yevgeny Ivanov's wife, Olga, is put under house arrest by a judge of the same court, Nadezhda Melikhova, for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200611","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Gerasimov's lawyer reports on the conditions in which the believer is held in Krasnodar pre-trial detention center No. 1: there are not enough personal cutlery for everyone, so they have to use them in turn with other prisoners; He was allowed to go for a walk only once in a week - in a larger cell with a bars in the ceiling through which he could see the sky.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200606","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow, Evgenia Babinova, is considering the investigator's petition to detain Sergey Oganyan and recognizes this measure as legal. The term of Sergey's arrest has been extended to 72 hours from the moment of his detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2020-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20200603","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vologda Regional Court upholds the extension of Stepanov's detention until July 18.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200603","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Grinenko was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Primorsky Territory, located at the Stary Klyuch station of the Spassky district.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk City Court, Alexei Shatilov, makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Yegor Baranov in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, until July 26, 2020. The reason for the harsh decision regarding the only son of a single mother, according to the judge's wording, is that 19-year-old Yegor \"has established stable religious views, is one of the leaders of this religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200529","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Primorsky Regional Court E. Valkova refuses to satisfy Yevgeny Grinenko's appeal and leaves him in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200528","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On 27 May 2020 the Dagestan Supreme Court replaced the preventive measure for Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Arsen Abdullaev from detention to house arrest. The believers are to be released from the detention center on the same day.\nThe court rejected the investigator's petition, which demanded that the Makhachkala residents continue to be held in prison.\nThe believers were detained in June 2019 during humiliating searches and interrogations. At that time, masked and armored security forces had invaded approximately 10 homes of law-abiding local residents, who were accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-05-27T15:16:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_5e2a761e7f06dc94.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_b9cf0e27c9211e49.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_7384cdee3f1a6579.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_ced640cdf3cc22fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/18.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","supreme-court","house-arrest"],"title":"The Dagestan Supreme Court Ruled to Release Four Believers From the Detention Center. They Spent in Prison Almost a Year","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 27, 2020 reports of new searches in Khabarovsk Territory came. According to preliminary information, armed officers of the FSB searched Yen Sen Lee, 68, and his wife, as well as 19-year-old believer and his mother. Both men were detained and taken to an unknown location.\nAt 21:00 local time, it became known that Yen Sen Lee returned home. Other details are being clarified.\nUpdate. On May 29, 2020 Aleksey Shatilov, judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, made a decision to remand in custody until July 26, 2020, Baranov, 19, a student of the 2nd year of a forestry technical school, the only son of a single mother. Before his arrest Yegor lived with his mother in the town of Vyazemsky. As grounds for his arrest, Judge Shatilov said in a ruling that \u0026ldquo;Baranov E.A. continues to be a member of the recognized extremist religious organization Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses . . . has established stable religious views and is one of the leaders of this religious organization.” The total number of searches in believers' homes has already exceeded 900. Large-scale religious persecution in Russia began throughout Russia after a miscarriage of justice—the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officials, for unknown reasons, interpret the joint worship of these law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Law scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses legal organizations do not prohibit the Jehovah's Witnesses' creeds, \"do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine\" and \"do not limit the constitutional right of believing citizens to unite.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-27T14:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_f0c3015c3be429d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_36306413bf4835ce.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_89cd0f6b32a87a9c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_16dfa03fe9b35e24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/17.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","sizo"],"title":"The Town of Vyazemsky Becomes a New Hotbed of Religious Persecution: at Least Seven Searches of Believers per Day","type":"news"},{"body":"The judges make a similar decision in relation to Vilen Avanesov and Aleksandr Parkov, without taking into account the state of health of Aleksandr, who has an immune disease, as well as Vilen's elderly age. The believers will remain in custody until August 19, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200520","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The memorial “Mask of Sorrow” erected in this region notorious for the Gulag labor camps recalls the millions of victims of political repression during the years of the USSR. However, dramatic events unfold here again, breaking the lives of innocent people. Three-minute video.\nIn May 2018, the Magadan FSB opened a criminal case for their faith under Article 282.2(1) against 13 local residents. Among them are Sergey Agadzhanov, Lyubov Asatryan, Galina Dergacheva, Sergey Yerkin, Evgeny Zyablov, Inna Kardakova, Konstantin Petrov, Ivan Puida, Viktor Revyakin, Mikhail Solntsev, Oksana Solntseva, Irina Khvostova, Anastasia Chibisova.\n\"The case was opened against four people,\" says one of the accused, 34-year-old Konstantin Petrov. But now they have combined all this into one thing with 13 people.\nKonstantin Petrov has been under investigation for two years. During this time, he managed to serve 2 months in a pre-trial detention center and 8 months under house arrest. It all started on May 30, 2018, when mass searches took place in the homes of peaceful believers in Magadan. He recalls: \"I opened the door and quickly found myself on the floor. Immediately screams, noise. They ran in masks, with weapons, put me on the floor and sat on top. They put a bag over my head, threw it into a car and drove me to the FSB building.\"\nAccording to Konstantin, the security forces tried to force him to cooperate with the investigation, threatening him with serious problems if he refused. \"They exerted emotional pressure in order to force us to accept their point of view,\" says Konstantin Petrov.- We chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\"\nAs a result, Konstantin Petrov and three other believers ended up in the Magadan pre-trial detention center. Neither the investigation nor the court took into account Konstantin's state of health.\nValentina Shafurina, mother of Konstantin Petrov: \"He has health problems, he does not digest gluten and lactose. At first, he was covered with a rash. Konstantin Petrov: \"I need special food, and it is clear that there is no such food in the pre-trial detention center, my health was deteriorating.\"\nThe inhuman treatment to which Konstantin and other believers were subjected was the result of a criminal case initiated under the article \"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nKonstantin Petrov: \"The investigation is still ongoing, the investigator is collecting some information. According to him, the investigation will not end soon.\nAs in hundreds of other criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses throughout Russia, in the case of Konstantin Petrov there is no information about the victims and the damage caused.\nKonstantin Petrov: \"What did we do wrong? If we are believers and just call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses, is that already a crime?\"\nValentina Shafurina: \"Will they really be imprisoned? I don't know. I can't believe that you can be imprisoned for this.\"\nKonstantin signed a recognizance not to leave. And although he is free, criminal prosecution and imposed restrictions disrupt the life of the family and deprive him of the opportunity to support his elderly mother.\nValentina Shafurina: \"I also called to myself, saying: \"Maybe you will come to me?\" They saved up for tickets to meet us. We haven't met, and I don't know when we'll meet now.\"\nThe memorial to the victims of political repression was created as a monument to the past. But for many believers, the \"Mask of Sorrow\" is becoming an increasingly clear reflection of the present.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2020-05-19T16:49:00+03:00","duration":"3:18","image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/10/image_hu_b2b7add2d64f7c23.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/10/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/10/image_hu_ee3be37f50d4acd1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/10/image_hu_736aad1a6ef963e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/10.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ussr","282.2-1","sizo","house-arrest","health-risk","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Kolyma 2.0. The Land of Trampled Freedom Once Again Becomes a Hotbed of Repression","type":"video"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court, chaired by Judge Yuriy Rusenko, extends Arsen Avanesov's detention for another 2 months and 29 days, until August 19, 2020. By this day, the believer will spend 455 days behind bars.\nThe court justifies its decision by the fact that the accused does not have time to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case (more than 20 volumes) within the prescribed period. According to Judge Rusenko, it is impossible for a believer to do this at large, since he \"can hide from the investigation and the court\" and \"influence witnesses.\"\nThe court does not take into account that Arsen, while remaining behind bars, cannot support his elderly mother. The investigating authorities have not allowed her to see either her husband or her son for a year now.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200519","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Grinenko, 49, was placed in custody for two months until July 12, 2020. A criminal case has been instituted against this peaceful believer, charging “organization of an extremist organization” prohibited under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the time of his arrest, he lived in the town of Lesozavodsk with his elderly parents. Searches in at least four homes of local believers took place on May 12, 2020. Law enforcers entered the homes of peaceful believers under the pretext of verifying compliance with the self-isolation regime, thus exposing innocent people, including the elderly, with the deadly threat of infection with the COVID-19 virus.\nSearches of at least 4 homes of local believers took place on May 12, 2020. Employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Border Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Primorye Territory, entered the homes of peaceful believers under the pretext of checking compliance with the self-isolation regime - exposing innocent Far Easterners, including the elderly, to the mortal threat of infection with the COVID-19 virus.\nIt is known that searches were carried out at 71-year-old G.P., 64-year-old G.K., at the family of 44-year-old Sergey Kobelev, as well as at Yevgeny Grinenko and his elderly parents. By arranging searches and interrogations during the coronavirus pandemic, this is not the first time that the investigating authorities have put the life and health of citizens at risk. Peaceful believers sit at home, obediently observing the regime of self-isolation, according to the recommendations of the Russian government. However, groups of government officials invade their homes and, accompanied by witnesses, rummage through their belongings, take them out for interrogations and place them in pre-trial detention centers.\nDuring the searches, electronic media, bank cards and other personal belongings, such as postcards, were seized, which mentioned the name of God, Jehovah, which was not prohibited by any court.\nSergey Kobelev was detained at about 8 a.m. by FSB officers at work and taken home, where a search had already been conducted in the presence of his wife, minor son and elderly father. Later, the believer was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. After a search and interrogation, he was released. The detention lasted a total of 11 hours.\nAccording to the investigation, the accused Yevgeny Grinenko \"carried out actions of an organizational nature to convene and hold meetings, and also took a direct part in the meetings aimed at continuing the activities of a religious association recognized by the court as extremist.\" This accusation is directly related to the unjust decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal scholars and human rights activists around the world unanimously condemn Russia's actions against Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-05-18T14:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/8.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Another Witness of Jehovah Was Sent to Jail. New Criminal Case Near the Chinese Border in the Town of Lesozavodsk","type":"news"},{"body":"The court leaves Nikolay Stepanov in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200515","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lesozavodsky District Court Andrey Gusev, in agreement with the prosecutor A. A. Martirosyan, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention against Yevgeny Grinenko - until July 12, 2020. It is known that a criminal case was initiated against this peaceful believer under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Before his arrest, he lived in the city of Lesozavodsk with his elderly parents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200514","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lipetsk Regional Court dismisses the appeal against the extension of the detention of Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200514","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 12, 2020, at least three homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the town of Lesozavodsk. Sergey Kobelev, 44, was detained. Details are being clarified.\n[i18n] Clarification. On May 16, 2020, it became known that Sergey Kobelev, who was detained at his workplace, was released on the same day after a search in his house and interrogation in the investigator\u0026rsquo;s office; The detention lasted 11 hours. However, 49-year-old Yevgeny Grinenko was sent to a pre-trial detention center after his arrest: a criminal case was initiated against him under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Searches were carried out in at least 4 families of believers. Religious persecution in the city is carried out by officers of the Border Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Primorsky Territory. The city of Lesozavodsk with a population of 35,000 people is located 350 kilometers north of Vladivostok. Earlier in Primorye Krai, at least 11 criminal cases for faith had already been initiated against 18 local Jehovah's Witnesses. Cases were initiated in Vladivostok, Luchegorsk, Partizansk, Razdolny, Spassk-Dalny and Ussuriysk.\nSuch a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a terrible miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to indiscriminately liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers, driven by unknown motives, pass off the joint religion of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The problem was highlighted by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-12T16:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/5.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo"],"title":"In the Primorye Territory, New Searches of Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to Preliminary Data, One Person Is Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Denmark, has been in custody almost four years of six appointed. According to the law, the unserved part of the believer’s punishment can be replaced by a fine, but the court has already three times declined the option. Due to health weakened by pneumonia and the overarching pandemic threat, Christensen is in danger if confined in a colony. On March 20, 2020, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture recommended to authorities “to reduce prison sentences more often,” as well as to “parole” convicts during the COVID-19 pandemic.\nDennis Christensen, a resident of Orel, was taken into custody on May 25, 2017. He became the first Jehovah's Witness to be convicted of his faith in modern Russia.\nChristensen spent 731 days in the Oryol pre-trial detention center, and after the trial a year ago he was sent to colony No. 3 in the Kursk region. According to the Criminal Code, 1 day of detention in a pre-trial detention center is equal to 1.5 days in a colony. Consequently, to date, Christensen has spent almost 4 years in prison out of 6 appointed by the court.\nSince the law allows for a prisoner's sentence to be mitigated after serving half of his sentence, Christensen sent requests to the Lgov District Court to that effect. The judges returned three of the four motions, each time citing a formal, clerical reason. The last petition was sent on April 15, 2020, there is no court response to it yet.\nAddressing the court, Dennis Christensen asks to take into account the opinion of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture of March 20, 2020, according to which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities are advised to \"more often resort to reducing prison terms\", as well as to \"parole\" of convicts.\n\"I fear for my life in view of the likely spread of coronavirus infection on the territory of correctional colony No. 3, where I am serving my sentence,\" Christensen wrote in the petition, pointing out that in October 2019 he suffered a severe form of pneumonia, which made his body even more vulnerable to infection.\nThe verdict against Dennis Christensen, as well as the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as a whole, outraged international democratic structures , both non-governmental and state-owned. In Russia itself, the human rights community also recognized the verdict against the Dane as illegal.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-05-07T16:13:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_7f68aeab33e21e7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_a929ddef91709745.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_65e9eba01236fc8e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_b0eb5a281cae42d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/4.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen Has Served Over Half His Sentence for Faith. The Law Allows His Release, but the Court Ignores the Motions","type":"news"},{"body":"According to data on May 4, 2020, Feliks Makhammadiyev, who had a damaged lung, is recovering in the prison hospital; the threat to life has passed. Believers Budenchuk, Miretskiy, Gridasov and German also report feeling better. They are forced to work ten hours a day.\nThe brutal beating took place on February 6, 2020, when Aleksey Budenchuk, Feliks Makhammadiyev, Aleksey Miretskiy, Roman Gridasov and Gennady German were admitted to Orenburg Correctional Colony No. 1.\nMakhammadiev suffered more than others. He became ill and was hospitalized the next day. Because his ribs were broken and his lung was damaged, urgent surgery was needed. In addition, doctors revealed that Mahammadiev's body was starving: due to intolerance to a number of products, he, while in jail, could not eat enough. In the prison hospital, he has the opportunity to follow a diet.\nBudenchuk, Miretsky, Gridasov and Herman have recovered from their beatings and are gradually adapting to the prison regime, although their chronic illnesses have worsened. In the colony, they are forced to work 10 hours a day, including in a sewing workshop. The lawyer of one of the believers said that due to the prison regime, believers do not have time to read letters of support and respond to them. In addition, the prison authorities imposed unreasonable penalties on them, for example, for not making a bed. However, the prosecutor's office, after checking on its own initiative, lifted most of the sanctions. Believers also challenge the actions of the prison administration, which the prosecutor's office did not pay attention to.\nAll five believers are not discouraged. They are supported by sympathetic residents of Orenburg, paying for food for them. They themselves and their relatives sincerely thank all those who are not indifferent for their support and help.\nSaratov residents Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Felix Makhammadiev, Aleksey Miretskiy were imprisoned as a result of an unfair accusation of extremism. (Bazhenov was transferred to correctional colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region.) Such a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a terrible miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to indiscriminately liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers, driven by unknown motives, pass off the joint religion of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The problem was highlighted by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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.\"\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-05-04T10:38:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/2/image_hu_2c3d3cc4c6c32f07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/2/image_hu_b0b3e7176f898a6f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/2/image_hu_348f9a402a5f266c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/2.html","regions":["saratov","orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","health-risk","sizo","life-in-prison"],"title":"Three Months Passed After the Beating of Five Believers in the Orenburg Colony. What Is Happening to Them Now?","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Kursk Tatyana Pozdnyakova, at the request of FSB investigator Maxim Zaitsev, decides to extend the detention of the believer until July 11, 2020. By this time, the total period of Artem's stay in the pre-trial detention center will be almost 9 months. The investigator submits to the court the decision to bring Bagratyan as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200430","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the current measure of restraint for all believers until July 29, 2020. Zinaida Krutyakova's health condition is deteriorating sharply, she needs a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200429","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court upholds the decision of the Leninsky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200429","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As of April 24, 2020, 23 believers, including two women, await trial in detention centers in 12 regions of Russia. None are accused of violent acts. Nevertheless, all of the applications to transfer them to house arrest in view of the COVID-19 pandemic were denied.\nFor example, a petition was filed with the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan to change the measure of restraint for Andrey Bochkarev, who is in a special risk group due to his illnesses. The next day, the senior investigator of the SCh of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan, Major of Justice R. Galimzyanov, decided to refuse the petition, arguing that neither the situation with the coronavirus nor the state of health obliges him to soften the believer's preventive measure.\nIn Novosibirsk, on April 16, 2020, the judge of the Leninsky District Court, Ekaterina Kashina, in the absence of listeners in the courtroom due to the coronavirus epidemic, extended the detention of believer Yuri Savelyev until July 22, 2020. The 66-year-old believer tried to tell the judge that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of his cellmates was doing work in the pre-trial detention center that involved contact with a large number of people. But at the same time, he does not use a mask, gloves, or shoe covers, which creates conditions for a high risk of infection. The judge was not touched by these arguments.\nAt the same time, investigators, prosecutors and judges are aware that there are no victims in cases against believers, and the believers themselves are infinitely far from violence and there is no need to expose them to the mortal risk of falling ill behind bars.\nIn addition to the 23 believers in pre-trial detention, 8 more people are in various correctional colonies, as their conviction for their faith has entered into force.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-04-27T11:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_b2f7602125f54ebe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_de99acb6b37a6943.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_6e0cd92444077d24.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_2259fc288b0c3b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/14.html","regions":["novosibirsk","tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","sizo"],"title":"Believers Are Denied Transfer From Overcrowded Pre-Trial Detention Centers, Despite the Increased Risk of COVID-19","type":"news"},{"body":"Despite the threat of coronavirus infection, the judge extends the term of imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center for all three believers until August 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200427","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev, a 66-year-old resident of Novosibirsk, has been detained for almost a year and a half. In prison, he faced humiliation, poor health, and the threat of contracting coronavirus, but in those trials he felt God's support. He received about 4,700 letters from 44 countries and encourages others himself. Despite all the difficulties, Yuriy considers isolation as an opportunity to encourage others. \"Love life! [...] Dear ones, take care of and forgive each other, while there is time.”— Yuriy, writing in a responding letter.\n\"The Father has everything under control,\" Yuri describes his attitude to difficulties in one of his letters \"to freedom\", implying the support of God.\nYuriy is now being held in a small cell, usually with one or two other cellmates, who are sometimes replaced. One of them pestered the believer with insults for almost six months and constantly smoked. As you know, Jehovah's Witnesses do not use tobacco, and for an elderly and not very healthy person, cigarette smoke is all the more harmful.\nThis attitude did not unsettle Yuri, he continued to try to behave kindly with others. In addition, neighbors in the cell, as a rule, turn out to be pleasant people to talk to. One of them was greatly surprised that Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their faith, and wished to learn more about their beliefs from the writings of unbiased religious scholars.\nRecently, Yuriy's health has deteriorated somewhat, and treatment is difficult in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center. \"Teeth here are not treated at all - they are immediately removed. Yuriy has already lost two, although they could have been saved at large, \"said his lawyer after Yuri's visit.\nAlthough the pre-trial detention center is in quarantine due to the pandemic, the fact that one of Yuriy's cellmates performs various works in the detention center adds to the believer's anxiety. At the same time, he walks without a mask, shoe covers and gloves, during the day he is in different places, communicating with many people.\nFragment of a letter from Yuri Savelyev Despite all the difficulties, Yuri remains calm and positive. He sees the conditions of isolation as an opportunity to support others. \"Love life! You live with her and live ... My dear, take care of each other and mutually forgive while there is time, \"Yuriy writes and thanks for the support from fellow believers and other caring people who write to him in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-04-22T16:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_6025eee0604351b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_cf4b487901ab09a4.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_ef8688776365164e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_497b28302f750fe9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/12.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"‘The Father Has Everything Under Control.’ Yuriy Savelyev Tells of Life in Jail and Nearly 5,000 Letters From Around the World","type":"news"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court extended the detention of Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov until August 9, 2020.\nThe judge denied Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva the opportunity to attend the hearing, file motions, express arguments, despite the fact that they are accused in the case, and this right is guaranteed by law. The court did not even let them enter the threshold of the courthouse. An appeal to the chairman of the court did not correct the situation. The court did not allow the defendants to personally file reasoned motions, did not allow them to be transferred to the judge through the office and even through lawyers.\nIn addition, the court did not ensure the appearance of defense counsel Valery Svitelsky, the only defender who was acquainted with the case materials. Instead, the judge invited two new lawyers who were not familiar with the case and who refused to support the arguments prepared by the defense. They simply stayed in the courthouse until the judge retired to the deliberation room, after which they themselves safely retired without hearing the announcement of the decision. This is a gross violation of the Code of Lawyer Ethics.\nAlthough Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov were able to observe the hearings via videoconference, they could not get advice from a lawyer, prepare and file motions on the merits.\nIt becomes known that Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov were again returned to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Novozybkov. Accordingly, the address for correspondence has changed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200420","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don extends the period of detention of Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Alexander Parkov, for another month, until May 19, 2020. The total period of detention by this time will be 334 days.\nIn view of the \"special complexity of the criminal case,\" Judge Snezhana Fedorova finds no reason to change the measure of restraint for the believer. The court does not take into account the special circumstances of prisoners in connection with the coronavirus pandemic (Aleksandr has been diagnosed with an immune disease, and Vilen is at increased risk due to his age).\nThe believers intend to appeal the court's decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200417","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Ekaterina Kashina extends Yuri's preventive measure in the form of detention until July 22, 2020.\nThe court session is held without listeners using the videoconferencing system between the courtroom and the pre-trial detention center.\nYuriy draws the court's attention to the unfavorable sanitary and epidemiological situation in the pre-trial detention center in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, one of his cellmates performs work in a pre-trial detention center that involves contact with a large number of people. But at the same time, he does not use a mask, gloves, or shoe covers. This creates conditions for a high risk of infection of others.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for April 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200416","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case was transferred to the Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region. The case is being considered by judge Larisa Solovets.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200413","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 7, 2020, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus refused to extradite Nikolai Makhalichev to the Russian Federation, against whom a criminal case had been initiated in his homeland on the basis of religion. On the same day, he was released from the Vitsebsk pre-trial detention center, where he had been held since the end of February.\nThe case against Nikolay Makhalichev was initiated in Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) on January 31, 2019. He was one of 23 residents of the region who were persecuted for discussing the Bible. On February 21, 2020, he was detained by Belarusian law enforcement officers near the border with Russia. Belarusian and international human rights organizations have called for the refusal to extradite Makhalichev, as they are convinced that his persecution in Russia is connected exclusively with his religion.\nImmediately after the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Vitebsk Region G. A. Korenko signed a decree on the release of the believer from the pre-trial detention center.\nNikolay Makhalichev was released a few hours before the start of the Lord's Supper, the only religious celebration among Jehovah's Witnesses, which in 2020 was celebrated on April 7 after sunset.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-04-08T17:30:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_ce8b5991b2f6f0aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_69b33692609497c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_4999d6a87b2316a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_90b433f43a06faf9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/8.html","regions":["belarus","khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international-community","sizo"],"title":"Nikolay Makhalichev Will Not Be Extradited to Russia. He Was Released From Belarusian Pre-trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2020, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia sent Belarus a request for the extradition of Russian citizen Nikolai Makhalichev, 36, who is accused of erroneous religious views in his homeland. The believer has been in the Vitebsk pre-trial detention center for more than a month and can go to a Russian prison for up to 15 years. International and Belarusian human rights activists are convinced that the extradition to Russia and even confinement in a pre-trial detention center simply because of religious beliefs violate Belarusian law. “Nikolai Makhalichev has not committed any internationally recognizable criminal offense or anything which constitutes a crime under Belarusian law and is facing prosecution solely for exercising his right to freedom of religion,” Amnesty International said in its urgent action statement. “He should be immediately and unconditionally released.”\nInternational and Belarusian human rights activists are convinced that extradition to Russia and even detention in a pre-trial detention center simply because of religious beliefs violate Belarusian legislation. \"Nikolay Makhalichev has not committed any internationally recognized criminal offence or other offence that is classified as a crime under Belarusian law,\" Amnesty International said in an urgent statement. \"He is being persecuted only because of his exercise of his right to freedom of religion and must be immediately and unconditionally released from detention.\"\n\"The extradition of Nikolai Makhalichev will violate both international agreements and the domestic legislation of the Republic of Belarus,\" the Belarusian human rights organization Human Constanta said in a statement. The authors of the publication explain that, according to Article 17 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of January 4, 2010 No. 105-Z \"On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus\", foreigners cannot be expelled from the Republic of Belarus to a foreign state where their life or freedom is threatened due to their race, religion, citizenship, nationality, belonging to a particular social group or political opinion.\nThe case against Nikolay Makhalichev was initiated in Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) on January 31, 2019. On February 21, 2020, he was detained by Belarusian law enforcement officers near the border with Russia. On February 24, by the decision of the Deputy Prosecutor of the Gorodok District of the Vitebsk Region, A.N. Zaikin, the believer was sent to SIZO-2 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. There he is waiting for the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus on the issue of his extradition to Russia.\nIn addition to Makhalichev, another 22 people are being prosecuted in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug for their faith in Jehovah. In this region, there were cases of the most cruel treatment of believers. Some of them were tortured and forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital.\n","category":"rights","date":"2020-04-03T15:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_48492b6cb928508c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_d8dde54e680510f1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_b343f4faaab58dbe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_4b522c2f1a694656.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/5.html","regions":["khanty-mansi","belarus"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","human-rights-defenders","international"],"title":"In Belarus, Human Rights Groups Protest Plan to Extradite Nikolay Makhalichev to Russia, Where He Faces Persecution for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuri Krutyakov, an elderly believer from Chekhov near Moscow, who has been languishing in a pre-trial detention center for a month, has deteriorated health. After his arrest, the Holy Scriptures were taken away from him.\n67-year-old Yuriy Krutyakov was arrested on March 4, 2020 on suspicion of extremism. Now he is placed in Moscow pre-trial detention center No. 4, in a special unit for especially dangerous criminals. Yuriy suffers from a number of serious diseases of internal organs, he has undergone several operations, including on the eye, as a result of which his vision problems have become sharply complicated.\nLiving conditions and food in the pre-trial detention center do not contribute to the recovery of the believer. Although Yuri is not discouraged, he intends to petition for proper medical care.\nMeanwhile, Yuri was deprived of the Bible, from which he could previously draw consolation. The Holy Scriptures were seized for verification, and so far the book has not been returned to the believer.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-03-30T14:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_fc145c4437d0fd62.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_a37aafec760ea339.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_9480b30d2e5bbba8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_13bc331d0c3faeed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/9.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"title":"One of Jehovah’s Witnesses From Chekhov Deprived of the Bible in Jail. His Health Also Worsened","type":"news"},{"body":"Five days after the verdict was overturned, Vladimir Alushkin was released from the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200330","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk extends the term of detention of Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov until April 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200327","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Syktyvkar City Court Yelena Koyusheva extends the term of arrest of Gennady Polyakevich until June 28, 2020, despite the fact that he has a minor child dependent on him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200323","regions":["komi"],"tags":["sizo","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Dagestan rejects the appeals of four defendants about the illegal extension of their arrest.\nThe court also refuses the defense's request to attach to the materials the ruling of the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk dated March 4, 2020. The ruling, among other things, noted that the court of first instance did not provide strong reasons for extending the arrest of each of the accused and committed \"significant violations of the criminal procedure law\", which the court of appeal did not eliminate. The Court of Cassation considered these violations to infringe on the rights of the accused to liberty and security of person, guaranteed to them by Article 22 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nExcept for the direct participants in the process, no one else is allowed to attend the hearing. Relatives and close friends of the accused cannot be in the courtroom, even while wearing medical masks.\nRelatives of believers report that they managed to get permission from the investigator for visits. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, quarantine has been declared in the pre-trial detention center, and all visits are prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200320","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About two dozen people gather near the building of the Khostinsky District Court to support Vyacheslav Popov.\nThis court is considering a complaint filed by Popov's lawyer to extend his detention until March 24 via videoconferencing with the Krasnodar Regional Court. The court session shall be held in an open mode. During the debate, the prosecutor asks to leave the decision of the Sochi court unchanged. Vyacheslav Popov and his lawyer ask to satisfy the complaint and replace the measure of restraint from arrest to a milder one, for example, house arrest. \"Due to the existing violations\", the judge of the regional court cancels the decision of the court of first instance, and decides to return for a new consideration to the court of first instance the materials of the case on the extension of Vyacheslav Popov's detention. At the same time, at the time of the new trial, the court decides to leave Popov in custody until March 22.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200310","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov and Nikolay Kuzichkin were taken from the Armavir pre-trial detention center in Sochi for investigative actions. Their spouses try to give them homemade food and vitamins, but are refused. They also complain that they are denied a visit, despite their numerous requests.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200307","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow is holding an open court session, which brings together more than 60 listeners who want to support 67-year-old Yuri Krutyakov. He is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it (Part 1, Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nJudge Natalia Kurysheva, at the request of the investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region I. Vladimirov, decides to detain Yuri for a period of 1 month and 26 days (until April 30, 2020). This happens despite the fact that the elderly believer voluntarily came to the Investigative Committee, which means that he has no intention of hiding from the investigation. Yuriy's wife Zinaida Krutyakova is already under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200305","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk upholds the complaint about the repeated extension of the arrest of Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Arsen Abdullaev, thus recognizing their detention as illegal.\nHowever, this does not mean that they will be released. Believers have repeatedly appealed to the Supreme Court of Dagestan, challenging the decision to extend the arrest, and the Court of Cassation considered only one of its decisions, issued in October 2019. After that, the arrest was extended several more times, and these decisions have not been canceled.\nNevertheless, the Supreme Court of Dagestan, when considering the next appeals against the extension of the arrest, will have to take into account the cassation ruling issued on March 4.\nMore than 500 people come to support the believers, but only 15 of them get into the hall, like last time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200304","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers are petitioning for mitigation of the measure of restraint for Andrey Bochkarev. The reason for this is the epidemiological situation in the country and the world, as well as Bochkarev's previous serious illness. The senior investigator of the SCh of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan, Major of Justice R. Galimzyanov, rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200301","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The session of the Georgievsk City Court, chaired by Nina Anashkina, begins two hours late. Only a few people from about 150 friends, acquaintances and simply caring people are allowed into the meeting room - not only locals, but also those who came to support the believer from Essentuki, Mineralnye Vody, Nezlobnaya, Novopavlovsk, Makhachkala and Voronezh.\nViktor's defense accuses the investigator of unreasonably delaying the response to the request for a medical examination and of improper performance of duties in general. So, witnesses in the case have not yet been questioned.\nThe investigator is requesting an extension of Viktor Zimovskiy's detention, arguing that he may abscond. As a confirmation, he provides a certain \"operative's report\", which does not have the necessary stamps proving the authenticity of the document.\nJudge Anashkina grants the investigator's request and leaves the believer in the pre-trial detention center until March 30. Earlier, the same judge took Zimovsky into custody. The lawyers petitioned for the recusal of Anashkina, but the petition was rejected.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200226","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 10.30 a.m., it is planned to consider the cassation appeal of Maria Karpova and the other three accused. About 400 people gather outside the Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk to support four fellow believers, despite the fact that a day earlier many of them were handed summonses for interrogation by the FSB, including a minor. According to the teenager's mother, the investigator threatened to imprison him next year.\nAbout 15 people are allowed into the small courtroom. There are no lawyers for the accused at the trial, only three judges and a prosecutor are present. After many hours of waiting, court officials report that it is not possible to establish contact with the Makhachkala detention center, where the accused are located.\nThe court adjourned the hearing to March 4, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200226","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 21, 2020, in the Republic of Belarus, police officers detained Russian citizen Nikolay Makhalichev, 36. Checking his documents, they declared he was wanted by the Russian authorities since he was professing a banned religion. Three days later the prosecutor sent him to pre-trial detention facility SIZO-2 in Vitebsk, Belarus.\nA criminal case against Nikolay Makhalichev was opened in Russia on January 31, 2019 by the investigating authorities of the city of Uraya (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug).\nWhile traveling around Belarus, Nikolai Makhalichev was stopped by the police to check his documents. He was told that Russia had put him on the wanted list. The believer ended up in a temporary detention center in the town of Gorodok (Vitebsk region).\nOn February 24, 2020, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Gorodok District, Junior Counselor of Justice A.N. Zaikin decided to detain Nikolai Makhalichev with serving in SIZO-2 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. In his ruling, the Belarusian prosecutor, referring to the Russian court, claims that Makhalichev acted \"deliberately, motivated by religious intolerance, from extremist motives, expressed in the propaganda of the advantage of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses over other persons ...\", and was also engaged in \"confession and dissemination of ideology and faith.\" It is obvious that the prosecutor copied the text of the charge from the Russian criminal case into his decision.\nGiven that the Belarusian authorities may extradite him to Russia, Nikolai Makhalichev filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee. Makhalichev considers the decision of the Belarusian prosecutor on detention illegal and will appeal it in the Belarusian court.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-25T10:12:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/83.html","regions":["khanty-mansi","belarus"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","sizo","international","complaints","unhrc"],"title":"For the First Time, Belarus Authorities Arrest One of Jehovah’s Witnesses Persecuted for His Faith in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala extends until March 27, 2020 the period of stay in the pre-trial detention center of four arrested for their faith.\nIn addition to lawyers, about 10 friends and relatives come to support believers in court - not all of them who wanted to be at the hearing. According to the wife of one of the arrested, their relatives were not informed about the date of the court hearings, so many went to Pyatigorsk, where on February 26 a meeting of the cassation instance on complaints about the arrest of Maria Karpova and other detainees was to be held.\nBefore the trial begins, an FSB operative named Ignatiev does not let anyone inside until he receives a copy of his passport and issues a summons for interrogation. Those who come file complaints about these actions with the chairman of the court and the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200225","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Gorodok District, Junior Counselor of Justice Zaikin A.N. sends Nikolai Makhalichev into custody with serving in SIZO-2 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. In his ruling, the Belarusian prosecutor, referring to the Russian court, claims that Makhalichev acted \"deliberately, motivated by religious intolerance, from extremist motives, expressed in the propaganda of the advantage of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses over other persons ...\", and was also engaged in \"confession and dissemination of ideology and faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200224","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed hearing, the judge decides to extend Andrey Bochkarev's detention in the pre-trial detention center until April 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200221","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 50 people gather near the court building before the start of the hearing, they came to support the believers. But they are not allowed into the hall - the hearings are held behind closed doors.\nNikolay Kuzichkin has a new lawyer by appointment, who did not have time to properly familiarize himself with the case materials. The lawyer is suspended from Kuzichkin's defense by agreement, but continues to defend Popov. The court had previously forbidden the lawyer to represent the interests of both believers at the same time, baselessly arguing that the interests of Popov and Kuzichkin contradict each other. The lawyer himself considers this motivation ridiculous.\nJudge Valery Butyaev makes a private decision, recognizing the investigation of the criminal case of Kuzichkin and Popov, which has been going on for the fifth month, ineffective. Despite the fact that the ineffective organization of the investigation is one of the grounds for refusing to extend the detention, the judge for the fourth time extends the period of detention of Kuzichkin and Popov until March 24, 2020.\nKuzichkin's wife claims that she is denied visits with her husband.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin was transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Penza region to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Ruzaevka, Republic of Mordovia. This happened before the appeal hearings and the entry into force of the verdict. Vladimir's new place of residence is located about 100 km from the previous one, which may make it difficult for his lawyer and relatives to access him, and also limits Vladimir's ability to get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. The reasons for the transfer are being clarified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200219","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearings on the measure of restraint against Batchaev are not completed in his favor. The Supreme Court of Karachay-Cherkessia returns the believer back to the pre-trial detention center, overturning the decision of the previous court, which sent Albert under house arrest. The defense considers the decision unfair and unreasonable.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200217","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Dagestan cancels the decision of the Sovetsky District Court to extend the detention until March 27, 2020. At the same time, the court does not release believers from custody, extending the term of imprisonment by 2 weeks (until February 27), and sends the case for a new trial in a different composition of the court.\nOn February 26, at 10:30 a.m., the Fifth Court of Cassation of Pyatigorsk will consider a cassation appeal against previous decisions of the Supreme Court of Dagestan. Earlier, the prisoners received a response from the judge of the Court of Cassation, which said that the court found a number of serious violations in their case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200213","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lipetsk Regional Court V. A. Shalnev upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of all three believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200212","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning of February 10, 2020, FSB officers began mass raids against believers in the cities of Chita, Baley, Khilok and Krasnokamensk, the villages of Kurort-Darasun, Pervomaiskoye, Amazar, Duldurga, Yasnogorsk and Verkhnyaya Hila. Vladimir Yermolaev, Oleg Podgrushin, Aleksandr Putintsev, Viktor Reshetov and others were detained.\nUpdate. On the evening of February 12, a judge of the Ingodinsky District Court of Chita sent 31-year-old Vladimir Ermolaev, who had been in custody for more than 60 hours, under house arrest. Three believers remain in custody: 47-year-old Sergey Kirilyuk (married), Pavel Mamalimov (married, has a young daughter), 31-year-old Vadim Kutsenko (married). On the eve of the Investigative Committee reported that more than 30 investigative and operational groups were formed, which simultaneously worked in Chita and the districts of the region. To Alexander and Larisa Vasilyev, who live in Kurort-Darasun together with four children 4, 6, 8 and 16 years old, law enforcement officers invaded early in the morning. During the search, Aleksandr, a group III disabled person, felt unwell, but he was still taken away for interrogation. His wife, Larisa, who works as a neurologist, was left at home with her children, promising that she would be interrogated later. All electronic devices were seized from the family. The only reason for what happened was religion.\nIn the house of one of the families, law enforcement officers opened the floors during searches. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated.\nThe Trans-Baikal Territory is the territory where Jehovah's Witnesses were massively exiled to a special settlement during the Stalinist repressions. Later, the believers were rehabilitated and recognized as victims of political repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-10T11:34:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_e3e6a981b042f9ff.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_8eb1da9639c33f3d.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_20492297919732f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_e5476ff33b605277.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/26.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","disability","minors"],"title":"Transbaikalia Becomes the 54th Region of Russia Where Jehovah’s Witnesses Are Repressed. Searches in the City of Chita and Six Other Settlements","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 29, 2020, about 100 concerned citizens came to the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk, where the detention of three believers in the pre-trial detention center was extended. Right there, they were given summons for interrogation to the investigator in the case against believers. Citizens are outraged by the actions of officials. The first complaints were filed on February 2.\nListeners of the trial in the case of Viktor Bachurin, Alexander Kostrov and Artur Netreba sent complaints to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia and other bodies about the actions of the judicial authority (Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk, the chairman of the court is Irina Bensman), which undermine confidence in the judicial system and its authority, raise doubts about the impartiality of the court, testify to extra-procedural ties between the leadership of the court and the Federal Security Service.\nThe actions of the security forces did not frighten those who came, they smiled and applauded the arrested as they were escorted along the corridor to the courtroom. Unlawful persecution of believers under \"extremist\" articles causes a great public outcry, so many listeners come to the trials of Jehovah's Witnesses - friends, acquaintances and simply not indifferent to what is happening with freedom of religion. Often, complete strangers who understand the absurdity of the accusations come to provide moral support to those arrested, despite the threat of falling under suspicion for this.\nEntrance to the building of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk was carried out with a passport. The bailiffs let them in, but then three security officials, including police Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Vladimirovich Kravchenko, collected documents from the listeners and, to everyone's bewilderment, issued summonses for interrogation from the investigator of the local FSB department, Yakushev. The summons were issued by a man who introduced himself as Andrei Mikhailovich Puzanov (he refused to show his official ID). As a result, citizens were not allowed into the courtroom, the judge declared the hearing closed.\nAs the lawyers emphasize, a mass summons for interrogation in this way grossly violates the principle of publicity of the trial. \"Any citizen, be it a journalist, a relative of the defendant or just a passer-by, has the right to enter the courthouse and attend the trial without fear that he will be summoned to the FSB and asked why he decided to exercise his right under the law,\" says one of the lawyers involved in the defense of believers.\n\"The officials had no reason to seize passports from me and other citizens in the district court building, since this is not provided for by Russian law,\" one of the complaints to the Prosecutor General of Russia says.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-02-07T15:07:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_aaa6fd2da0259685.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_2b6ecfe139c78d13.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_eb11db8f41c9d1f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_9b9cb5b7adb572d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/22.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Citizens File Complaints: Bailiffs Seized Passports From Listeners and Returned Them With Summons for FSB Interrogation","type":"news"},{"body":"In the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area), searches are being conducted in 8 homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Andrey Sazonov, 38, was arrested.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200206","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extends the term of detention for Tatyana Shamsheva, now until April 5, 2020, and for Olga Silaeva, Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov until April 4.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200130","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pechora City Court Andrei Barabkin sends Gennady Polyakevich to a pre-trial detention center for two months - until March 27, 2020, and Gennady Skutelets is placed under house arrest for the same period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200130","regions":["komi"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 100 people come to the meeting of the Sovetsky District Court in Lipetsk to support believers. At the entrance, their passports are taken away and summonses are issued for interrogation to FSB investigator Yakushev. The subpoenas are presented by A. M. Puzanov and Lieutenant Colonel D. V. Kravchenko.\nThe court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba until May 2, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200129","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 22, 2020, a court in Sochi left 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin in custody until February 24. This happened despite the fact that in the pre-trial detention center Nikolay is deprived of the opportunity to receive high-quality treatment, his condition is critical.\nBefore the hearing, Nikolay's friends and acquaintances, about 70 people, including young people, gathered at the courtroom. They came to support their fellow believer, despite the rainy, cold weather. However, the hearings were held behind closed doors.\nAt the same time, as one of those present at the hearing said, the court staff somewhat softened their attitude towards the listeners of the trial. \"The court workers did not drive us away with rude teams from the fence, at which we crowded in order to see up close and support the prisoner during the escort. But this is what they usually did to us in previous courts,\" said one of the eyewitnesses.\nThe audience supported Nikolay with applause.\nAccording to a source close to Nikolai's family, the investigator in charge of the case in which Kuzichkin and others are involved also softened his attitude.\n\"When an elderly woman with epilepsy scolded him a little for summoning him for questioning, he replied to her with something like: 'It wasn't exactly me who called you. There are other interested people.\" After the interrogation, he helped her stand up and led her arm into the corridor, \"says an acquaintance of the Kuzichkins.\nPiano tuner Nikolai Kuzichkin has been languishing in jail for more than three months. All this time, his condition worsens.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-28T07:54:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_f382051a127a51e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_f7b2c362fd91ef8f.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_7c02a1bf81629a9d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_9678fb8819bca83e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/43.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"title":"The Court in Sochi Left 68-Year-Old Nikolay Kuzichkin in Jail. About 70 People Came to Support the Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"Georgievsk City Court arrests Viktor Zimovskiy for 1 month and 6 days. The defense does not agree with the decision.\nIt turns out that the accusation of extremism is based on video footage that was secretly held in one of the apartments while believers jointly discussed the Bible, sang songs and prayed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200124","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The imprisonment of all four was extended until March 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200124","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Today, January 23, the court for 47 days (until March 11, 2020) imprisoned a resident of Kursk, Andrei Ryshkov. The decision on another detainee, Oleksandr Vospitanyuk, has not yet been made by the judicial authorities.\nAndrey Ryshkov, 32, and Aleksandr Vospitanyuk, 40, were detained on January 21, 2020 after they appeared for questioning. It is not yet known exactly what they are accused of, but the detention took place against the backdrop of a series of searches and arrests that took place in Kursk last fall in connection with a criminal case under \"extremist\" articles initiated for reading and discussing the Bible together.\nSince then, Kurians Andrey Andreev and a married couple Alevtina and Artyom Bagratyan have been behind bars. The latter's health problems worsened after his arrest.\nIn most cases, the detention of detainees in pre-trial detention facilities is not limited to the initial term, since the courts then extend the measure of restraint. Sometimes peaceful believers are forced to spend a year or even more in a pre-trial detention center awaiting trial. For example, Dmitry Barmakin , a believer from Vladivostok, spent almost a year and three months in prison.\nThe security forces perceive the confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as a continuation of the activities of the 396 legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in Russia, although the courts did not prohibit the faith itself.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-23T17:04:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/28.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","families","health-risk","interrogation"],"title":"The Kursk court sent the believer to a pre-trial detention center. The number of Kurians arrested for their faith has reached four","type":"news"},{"body":"At 11:00 a.m. on January 24, 2020, in the district court of the city of Polyarny (2 Sivko Street), Judge Victoria Loginova will begin to announce the verdict. 45-year-old Roman Markin and 62-year-old Viktor Trofimov pleaded not guilty. Having already spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, they go to court with things that they may need if they are sent to jail.\nBrief information about the defendants and their biographies can be found on the relevant pages (Roman Markin, Viktor Trofimov). How the criminal case has developed since November 2017 is described in chronology. There you can also find links to the details of the raids carried out by the FSB, to the texts of speeches in the debates and much more related to this case.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-23T16:49:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_4c7417cf57a4f4dc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_a4336550aa4a8184.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_969fa7d7246372b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_321b4bf2c3279959.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/27.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","sizo"],"title":"Announcement: On January 24, the verdict on believers will be announced in the Murmansk region. The prosecutor asks to send them to a colony for 6 years","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Kursk elects a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Andrey Ryshkov, and a written undertaking not to leave for Alexander Vospitanyuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200123","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing on the measure of restraint for Popov. About 50 people come to support the believer, but few are allowed into the hall. The rest are waiting for the end of the meeting on the street in the rain. During the hearings, Popov states that the investigator is delaying the process. For all the time, only 12 witnesses were interviewed. The investigator, in turn, claims that Nikolay can hide from the investigation and petitions for an extension of his arrest. The judge grants the petition, Popov remains in custody for at least another month - until February 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 21, 2020, believers were detained in Kursk: 40-year-old Aleksandr Vospitanyuk and 32-year-old Andrey Ryshkov. The question of the measure of restraint will be decided in court on January 23. Since mid-October, Kurians Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan and their friend Andrei Andreev have also been languishing behind bars.\nAndrey Ryshkov was invited to the FSB building for interrogation as a witness. However, already on the spot, the security forces declared him a suspect. It is not yet known what exactly. Under similar circumstances, Aleksandr Vospitanyuk was detained. Details are still unknown.\nIn October and November 2019, several waves of searches and detentions of local residents suspected of joint worship of Jehovah took place in Kursk. Artyom Bagratyan, who is in pre-trial detention, has his health deteriorated sharply.\nLaw enforcement officers interpret the confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as a continuation of the activities of 396 legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in Russia, although the courts did not prohibit the faith itself.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-22T13:25:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/23.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation","sizo","health-risk","search","families"],"title":"Two more believers were detained in Kursk. Earlier, a woman and two men had already been sent to the Kursk pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 21, 2020, after a day spent in a temporary detention facility, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan released Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva under house arrest. Meanwhile, Leysan's husband, Andrey Bochkarev, was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nOn January 22, it became known that operatives were going around the apartments of believers with questions. One of them, Daria Granik, was searched again that morning, and she herself was summoned for questioning at the Center for Combating Extremism and Terrorism.\nAdditional details of what happened on January 19, when at 11:15 a.m. a group of security officials invaded Tatiana Obizhestvit's apartment. Immediately, one of them loudly commanded: \"Bochkarev Andrey, go out! Is Laysan's wife here? According to believers, law enforcement officers generally behaved correctly, but did not introduce themselves. Later that day, the search began and lasted about two hours. A computer was seized from the owners of the house. According to the security forces, they were looking for weapons, drugs and \"everything connected with Jehovah.\"\nDuring the interrogation, which took place in the building of the Department for Combating Organized Crime, methods of psychological pressure were used. For example, believers were told that their fellow believers had already begun to confess. Tatiana and Leysan were taken for medical examination in handcuffs. The case is being conducted by investigator Galimzyanov R.U.\n44-year-old Andrey Bochkarev, his wife Leysan and Tatyana Obizhestvit are civilians in Kazan who have nothing to do with extremism. The right to profess any religion and peacefully gather together is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nUpdate. On January 28, 2020, in Kazan, security forces forcibly pushed a 30-year-old believer into a car and took her away in an unknown direction. As it turned out, she was taken for interrogation and later released. On January 29, the woman was again summoned for interrogation and asked what kind of God she believed in, and whether she knew Andrey Bochkarev, who had been arrested. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-22T11:32:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_dd17dffc3cef8db4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_4b89126d83a19526.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_70e44a5b57f00671.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_1067ab533ac95dd1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/22.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","house-arrest","sizo","interrogation"],"title":"“Search For Everything Related to Jehovah.” New Details of the Raid on Believers In Kazan","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 14, 2020, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court granted Aleksandr Polozov's complaint against the preventive measure and released him from the pre-trial detention center. The decision of the lower Norilsk City Court was overturned. Meanwhile, in fact, Alexander was released only on January 21.\nA believer from Norilsk was imprisoned for almost 3 months. Now he will await trial for his faith on his own recognizance.\nThe case against Aleksandr Polozov was initiated on October 20, 2019. According to the investigation, he is accused of \"religious speeches and worship,\" as well as \"propaganda of the activities of the banned organization Jehovah's Witnesses.\" For this, he could face up to 10 years in prison.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-21T11:47:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_38e0d4f9f34a8ac4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_45d512c41ffea0a7.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_3bb68a1102acfb5a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_fe2e4ee0ea8b2904.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/17.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","recognizance-agreement","sizo"],"title":"Aleksandr Polozov Successfully Appealed the Preventive Measure, Released From Pre-Trial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"The Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan releases Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva under house arrest. Andrey Bochkarev was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200121","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By decision of the Sochi District Court, Nikolay Kuzichkin was left in custody until February 24, 2020. About 70 friends and acquaintances of Nikolay gather before the court session to support his fellow believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200121","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 18 and 19, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in the homes of 9 local families in the city of Neftekumsk and the village of Zaterechnoye, Stavropol Territory. Some were interrogated about fellow believers who had been released from pre-trial detention a few days earlier by the court.\nThe searches began on December 18 at about 9 a.m. and lasted about an hour and a half. Another search took place in Zaterechne on December 19.\nAs follows from the search protocols, the police, employees of the Investigative Committee and the Center for Countering Extremism were looking for \"objects and documents confirming criminal activity related to the organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nHowever, the security forces found and seized several copies of the Bible, including in the Synodal translation and the translation of Archimandrite Macarius. Also, a laptop, tablet, mobile phone, and personal records were confiscated from believers. In one of the cases, law enforcement officers took a box with 800 rubles.\nAfter the searches, six believers were taken to law enforcement offices and interrogated. Among other things, they asked about three residents of Neftekumsk, who had previously been imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center for their faith. They were released only a year later, but remain accused in the case of extremism.\nThe criminal case against believers from Neftekumsk is one example of unjustified persecution for their beliefs in Russia. Believers face degrading treatment and arrests for \"not renouncing their religious views.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-16T13:30:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/8.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches of Witnesses Continued in the Stavropol Territory. Security Forces Seized Bibles","type":"news"},{"body":"68-year-old Nikolay Kuzichkin is suspected of cancer in several organs and a number of serious chronic diseases. The diagnoses were partially made even before the arrest, but the doctors of the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 do not conduct a full examination and treatment, putting Nikolai's life in danger.\nAn elderly piano tuner was detained on October 10, 2019 during a large-scale raid by security forces in Sochi and its environs. Nikolay is suspected of extremism on the grounds that he adheres to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, although this is not prohibited.\nAfter the arrest of a non-smoker, a seriously ill Kuzichkin was put in a cell with smokers. This alone violates Article 33 of the Federal Law \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\".\nInitially, there were not enough beds in the cell, so the detainees were forced to sleep in turns - there were only 10 beds for 18 people.\nAfter numerous complaints, including from strangers but not indifferent people, the conditions of Nikolay's detention improved. \"At least there are enough beds for everyone,\" says Nikolai's lawyer.\nHowever, in the pre-trial detention center, Kuzichkin cannot receive the treatment he underwent before his arrest. For many years, Nicholas successfully restrained the development of diseases with the help of traditional medicine. Now he has been deprived of this opportunity. As a result, Nikolay's condition began to deteriorate sharply, he lost more than 20 kilograms in weight. Those who saw Nicholas during the court hearings say that he lost a lot of weight, his voice weakened, and his speech became confused.\nAt the end of October, Kuzichkin appealed to the head of the Armavir pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for a medical examination, but was refused. According to Tereshchenko, Kuzichkin's illnesses are not included in the \"list of diseases that impede detention.\"\nLater, Nikolai Kuzichkin was still examined, but superficial. At the end of December, the doctors of the Clinical Oncology Center No. 1 of Krasnodar gave the same answer as Tereshchenko.\nAt the same time, Kuzichkin's illnesses are contained in the \"List of serious diseases that impede detention\", section \"Diseases of the endocrine system\".\nAccording to Kuzichkin's lawyer, his condition is accompanied by numerous symptoms of cancer.\n\"The doctors of the Krasnodar cancer center were supposed to conduct an in-depth examination, but this was not done,\" says the lawyer.\nKuzichkin's friends and relatives try to support him, regularly passing food to the pre-trial detention center. Previously, Nikolay could not be seen even during the court hearings in Sochi, because they were held behind closed doors. On December 30, 2019, the Krasnodar Regional Court concluded that this procedure for the administration of justice was illegal, but still left Kuzichkin in custody.\nIn this situation, the victim is not only Nikolai, but also his wife Olga, who herself has a disability. She does not share her husband's religious beliefs, but his criminal prosecution deprived the woman of a breadwinner - only Nikolai worked in the family, despite his age.\nReligious repressions in Russia lead to the fact that entire families suffer because of \"extremist\" cases, and a whole layer of elderly believers accused of extremism is also created.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-01-15T16:05:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_643a6864718c4376.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_e857c34e4bdf0cde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_344187f1bc123111.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/3.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk","medical-rights","elderly"],"title":"Management of the Armavir Pre-Trial Detention Center Is Slow to Treat an Elderly Believer. The Life of Nikolay Kuzichkin Is in Jeopardy","type":"news"},{"body":"Among the hundreds of respectable citizens against whom criminal cases have been unjustly initiated, there are entire families - married couples, parents and children. Below are a few examples of how false accusations separate loved ones, breaking their destinies.\n\"In prison, he sings songs instead of radio\"\nIn July 2018, security forces with machine guns at the ready broke into the apartment of the spouses Vladimir and Tatyana Alushkin in the Penza region and searched it. Vladimir was arrested. He spent 3 days in a temporary detention facility, 181 days in a pre-trial detention center and 333 days under house arrest. For almost a year and a half, he was physically unable to take care of his family.\nOn December 13, 2019, the court sentenced both spouses: he was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and she was given a 2-year suspended sentence. Vladimir was taken into custody in the courtroom. Separation again, now for years.\nTatyana, despite the harsh realities, does not lose heart and actively supports those who find themselves in a similar situation.\n\"I was on a date,\" she says. - Volodya has already received some e-mails (we are talking about letters that are sent to Vladimir Alushkin in prison). Thank you all so much! He prays for everyone. He sits alone. The sound of the radio has the ability to remove itself, instead of it sings our songs. Calm and joyful.\"\nLife in a pre-trial detention center is under attack\nHusband and wife from the Kursk region Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan have been in jail since October 16, 2019. In the dungeons of the detention center, Alevtina immediately caught a cold. Artem's health problems have reached a critical level. According to the lawyer, there is a threat to life.\n\"In the pre-trial detention center, Artem is not allowed to take the medicines he was taking before his arrest. In the isolation ward, he is given analogues that are ineffective. They also do not provide a special diet,\" his lawyer said.\nIn addition, the criminal prosecution deprived the spouses of their livelihood. Alevtina's mother needs constant help. The woman is very worried about her daughter and son-in-law.\n\"I felt my husband smell like prison\"\nDmitriy and Elena Barmakin, a family from Primorsky Krai, also had to face the hardships of persecution for their faith. Dmitriy spent 447 days in the pre-trial detention center, some of them in solitary confinement in a damp basement.\nAbout two months after Dmitry's arrest, Rosfinmonitoring blocked Yelena's bank cards. She could not get a permanent job because of the criminal proceedings - she could be summoned to court or for interrogation at any time. Moreover, a criminal case was initiated against Elena herself.\nAfter Dmitry was transferred to house arrest, the couple are together again. It is possible that temporarily, since the courts on the merits are ahead.\nHere's how Elena describes the first hours after separation:\n\"I just didn't expect such a result! For a year and two months, I got used to the fact that he was constantly left in custody ... And when Dima was released right in the courtroom, it was, of course, a shock! I didn't even know how to rejoice... My girlfriends immediately began to cry, and I just froze with surprise. Complete prostration! And when we came to the apartment, I felt the smell of prison from my husband for some time.\nDmitry admits that the imprisonment greatly influenced him. \"A lot has happened in the 15 months that I spent in jail,\" he says. \"The long separation has changed us, and now we have to get to know each other again.\"\n\"I'm afraid to be at home alone\"\nGeorgy and Elena Nikulin live in Mordovia. After his arrest, the head of the family spent 147 days in a pre-trial detention center. A specialist with 9 professions, just like his wife, cannot get a job today due to criminal prosecution. The family does not have enough money for food and basic household items. Persecution for his faith undermined George's physical health. The arrest and interrogation by the FSB caused deep psychological trauma to Yelena. \"Now I'm afraid to be at home alone,\" she admits.\nEarly in the morning, masked men broke into the apartment of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov in the Omsk region, knocking out the front door. Sergei was beaten and then taken away. Anastasia was also arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center, where she spent 154 days. Anastasia became the first woman in recent history to be imprisoned only for her religious beliefs.\nThe two spouses then spent another 91 days under house arrest. Now Sergey and Anatasiya are under recognizance not to leave.\nAlexander and Galina Parkov from the Rostov region have been separated for more than six months - Alexander is in a pre-trial detention center. Criminal cases have been initiated against both. Galina, who is still free, had to quit her job, her bank card, to which her salary was transferred, was blocked. A woman is interrupted by odd jobs in order to support herself and support her husband.\nThe persecution of the couple had a negative impact on other family members as well. Due to stress and worries, Alexander's pregnant daughter began to have health complications.\nValeria and Sergey Rayman from the Kostroma region are the youngest couple who face 10 years in prison, despite the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor's office.\nMikhail and Oksana Solntsev became hostages of criminal cases in the Magadan region. In Taganrog, Oksana is waiting for sick parents who have no one to take care of. But she is under recognizance not to leave. Due to a similar measure of restraint, Mikhail is constrained in the ability to work and provide for his family.\n\"I became afraid of every knock on the door\"\nVenera and Daria Dulov faced persecution for their beliefs in the Sverdlovsk region. Venera is hearing impaired, and her daughter Daria is the youngest \"prisoner of conscience\" - a student. After searches conducted by law enforcement officers in the apartment and at the family's dacha, the girl is in a stressful state.\n\"I became afraid of every knock on the door,\" says Dasha, \"I stopped keeping a diary, writing poetry and even taking notes on my phone. It seems to me that uninvited guests will come again and take it all away.\nKonstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, residents of the Kamchatka Territory, were detained during a raid in front of their minor daughter Elizaveta. Both spouses are now under recognizance not to leave and are forced to deal with the consequences of stress in their daughter.\nAt least 18 families are prosecuted for religious reasons. Among them are married couples - Mikhail and Elena Popov (Kamchatka Territory), Sergey and Natalia Mysin (Ulyanovsk Region), Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk (Khabarovsk Territory), as well as Vilen and his son Arsen Avanesov (Rostov Region ), Sergey Kulakov together with his son Dmitry (Sakhalin Region), Valentina and Roman Baranovsky (mother and son, Khakassia), Sergey and Svetlana Malyanov (father and daughter, Nizhny Novgorod region). In some cases, law enforcement officers act with excessive harshness in relation to minor children. So, in July 2019 in Kaluga, during the arrest of Roman Makhnev, his 15-year-old daughter was put barefoot on the street by the security forces. For a long time Dasha stood in the rain. During the search, the security forces planted publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials under the girl's bed. In this case, the child did not become a defendant in the criminal case, but her father was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-06T15:48:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_63051421ccf11c56.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_fd2f8a209ca1a464.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_c7c83326829e17f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_64d3aee7e626774a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1539.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","families","liberty-deprivation","sizo","health-risk","medical-rights"],"title":"Relatives with the smell of prison: in Russia, whole families are judged for their beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"At least until February 11, 2020, 43-year-old Circassian Albert Batchaev will be in jail. What events in the republic preceded his arrest over the past 10 years?\nThe difficulties of believers in this republic began long before the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. However, if from 2010 to 2016 there were about 5 cases of harassment for faith in the republic, then in 2019 alone there were already 2. Here is a list of known incidents in chronological order.\n04.09.2010, Cherkessk. Two believing women, 70-year-old E. Turok and A. Ciobanu, were detained during a conversation with neighbors and taken to the Main Directorate for Countering Extremism (CPE) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Karachay-Cherkessia. They stayed there for 8 hours. Interrogation and inspection of personal belongings was carried out by Senior Lieutenant F. Erkelova. Mobile phones and religious literature were seized from the women. Even then, employees of the Center for Counteracting Extremism threatened believers with searches and arrest. During a subsequent search of E. Turok's house, several books were seized.\n13.05.2011, Nikolaevskoye village. Three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained and taken to the police station as they returned to their home in their own car. At the police station, the believers were interrogated about their religious activities, copies of passports were made, photographed and fingerprints were taken, after which they were released.\n13.08.2013, Kosta-Khetagurova village. FSB officers A. Kokhov, M. Dyachenko, O. Netkacheva, as well as S. Kosenko, an expert of the Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, came home to 72-year-old V. Kolieva and her relative L. Kolieva for \"inspection of the premises\". Law enforcers presented a ruling from the Karachai City Court, which stated that the Kolievs were engaged in \"reading and distributing extremist literature.\" During the inspection, which looked more like a search, all religious literature was seized. The believers filed a complaint with the court.\nJune 2015, Cherkessk. Vladimir Mirzoyan, a 53-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was beaten twice and mistreated by police officers. During the first interview, under severe pressure, he was forced to sign an explanation prepared in advance by the police, but the next morning he filed complaints against law enforcement officers. After that, he was subjected to even more severe bullying: beaten in the face and stomach, threatened relatives, demanding that he retract his statement. As a result, the believer was forced to seek medical help. The reason for such actions was the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cherkessk, which interfered with the construction of retail space and, according to the prosecutor's office, was subject to confiscation for alleged \"extremist activities\" of believers. Later, publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, previously included in the list of extremist materials, were planted in the building and then \"discovered\".\n20.09.2016, p. Mednogorsky and s. Kurdzhinovo. FSB officers conducted \"surveys\", in fact searches, in 4 houses of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge of the Supreme Court of the KCR, Islam Gerbekov, who authorized the special event, explained this by the fact that one of the believers, Svetlana Isaeva, who lives in Mednogorskoye, allegedly engaged in involving others in her religion and allegedly distributed books included in the list of extremist materials among her like-minded people. A week later, the FSB officer conducting the search returned to Svetlana Isaeva and demanded that she change her testimony by confessing to distributing extremist literature. The woman refused to incriminate herself.\n01.06.2019, Ordzhonikidze village. The security forces searched 42-year-old Indira, who is raising four children alone. The search took place in the presence of the woman's three minor children. For two hours, the operatives searched for \"extremist\" literature, even checking a school textbook. One of them asked if Indira knew that the court had banned Russian Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. According to the woman, the head of the group said that he had nothing against Jehovah's Witnesses, \"just doing his job.\" Unable to find literature, the security forces apologized and left. According to Indira, she had previously noticed surveillance of herself in Karachaevsk.\n16.12.2019, Cherkessk. After a series of searches, 43-year-old Albert Batchaev was arrested for 2 months. He is still being held in a pre-trial detention center.\nUpdated 11.01.2021. Albert Batchaev spent 3 months in a pre-trial detention center and has been under house arrest for about 10 months. Meanwhile, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in the republic:\n12.11.2020, Cherkessk. A group of security officials led by V. Drakin, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for Karachay-Cherkessia, conducted a second search of a 56-year-old believer.\n09.01.2021, p. Mednogorsky. Early in the morning, FSB officers conducted surveys (in fact, searches) of at least 3 apartments of believers. Once again, the searches of believers were sanctioned by Judge Islam Gerbekov.\nBelievers hope that the \" systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in Russia will end, and the victims will be rehabilitated. At the moment, only four believers from three regions of the country have been acquitted and/or rehabilitated: Arkadya Akopyan, Andrey Sivak, Vyacheslav Stepanov and Kaleria Mamykina.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-03T17:29:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_dc3380517d8a04b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_8dd87ad9cbe2193e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e433ae9a55407b16.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e493d072c62bca97.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1524.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","elderly","siloviks-violence","minors","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"How Jehovah's Witnesses Are Persecuted in Karachay-Cherkessia: 2010–2020","type":"news"},{"body":"Обновление. 27 января 2020 года Артём Багратян переведен из курского СИЗО в больницу, где должно пройти обследование. В начале января руководство колонии позволило родственникам передать Артёму необходимые препараты, которые он начал принимать под наблюдением медработников изолятора. Родные верующего по-прежнему сильно обеспокоены положением дела у Артёма.\nThe management and doctors of the Kursk pre-trial detention center refuse proper treatment for Artyom Bagratyan, who was arrested for reading the Bible, meeting with fellow believers and talking with others about the Bible. Artem, 47, has diabetes and hypertension, and his condition is deteriorating sharply.\nArtyom, along with his wife Alevtina and other believers, were detained in Kursk on October 16, 2019 on charges of extremism. Since then, both spouses and their acquaintance Andrey Andreev have been under arrest in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kursk region.\n\"In the pre-trial detention center, Artem is not allowed to take the medicines he was taking before his arrest. In the isolation ward, he is given analogues that are ineffective. They also do not provide a special diet,\" Bagratyan's lawyer said, adding that there is a real threat to the life of the client.\nThe lawyer visited Bagratyan on December 26, 2019. The next day, December 27, the Leninsky District Court held hearings to extend the measure of restraint. During the meeting, Artem became ill, he had to call an ambulance, because the sugar level and blood pressure increased greatly.\n\"The doctor did not have a medicine for blood pressure, so we ran to the pharmacy. After that, Artem felt a little better, and the trial continued, \"says the lawyer.\nDespite Bagratyan's critical health, Judge Tatyana Pozdnyakova extended his arrest until March 11, 2020.\nThe case of the Bagratyan family is being conducted by the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Kursk region M.N. Zaitsev.\nAfter Bagratyan's detention in October 2019, a series of raids took place in Kursk. On October 24 and 31, 2019, security forces searched a total of seven houses of believers. On November 6 and 11, three more searches took place.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-01-02T17:48:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_f58c8cb96a1ce362.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_965a897978c440cc.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2ffb8bf3826f73ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7289c3054ada704e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1518.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","health-risk","families"],"title":"Prisoner for Faith Is Forbidden to Take Necessary Medicine in the Kursk Pre-Trial Detention Center. His Condition Is Critical","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal leaves Nikolay Kuzichkin in custody, despite his state of health.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191230","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 23, 2019, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction overturned the appeal decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court, which upheld the 6-month extension of the period of detention of Kemerovo residents Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk. Although the believers have already served this term in a pre-trial detention center, it is important that it is recognized as illegal.\u0026nbsp;\nHere's how events unfolded:\u0026nbsp;\n13.06.2019The Berezovsky City Court, based on the results of the preliminary hearing, extends the period of detention of Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk in custody for another 6 months, that is, until December 3,\u0026nbsp;2019. By that time, both had already been behind bars for almost 11 months.\u0026nbsp;\n17.06.2019The lawyer is filing an appeal with the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 to extend the\u0026nbsp;period of\u0026nbsp;detention\u0026nbsp;for Britvin and Levchuk\u0026nbsp;until December 3, 2019\u0026nbsp;.\u0026nbsp;\n19.07.2019The Kemerovo Regional Court refuses to satisfy the lawyer's\u0026nbsp;appeal filed on 17.06.2019.\u0026nbsp;\n30.07.2019The lawyer submits a cassation appeal to the Presidium of the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 and the decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019.\u0026nbsp;\n19.08.2019The judge\u0026nbsp;of the\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Kemerovo Regional Court\u0026nbsp;refuses\u0026nbsp;to transfer\u0026nbsp;the cassation appeal dated 30.07.2019\u0026nbsp;to the Presidium of the Regional Court.\u0026nbsp;\n12.09.2019The lawyer submits a cassation to the higher Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\u0026nbsp;\n12.11.2019The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation satisfies the cassation appeal. Judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Vasily Zykin, having studied the circumstances of the case, notes that the decision on the 6-month extension of the period of detention of Kemerovo residents Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk \"cannot be recognized as lawful and justified.\" The Supreme Court refers\u0026nbsp;the cassation\u0026nbsp;appeal for consideration to the\u0026nbsp;newly created\u0026nbsp;Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (located in the city of Kemerovo).\u0026nbsp;\n27.11.2019The Berezovsky City Court extends the period of detention of\u0026nbsp;Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk\u0026nbsp;for another 3 months, that is, until March 3, 2020.\u0026nbsp;\n02.12.2019The lawyer is filing an appeal with the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 27.11.2019\u0026nbsp;to extend the\u0026nbsp;period of\u0026nbsp;detention\u0026nbsp;for Britvin and Levchuk\u0026nbsp;until March 3, 2020.\u0026nbsp;\n23.12.2019The Kemerovo Regional Court changes the decision of the Berezovsky\u0026nbsp;City Court of 27.11.2019 (on a 3-month extension of the period of detention of believers) and assigns them house arrest. On the same day, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction cancels the appeal decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019 (on a 6-month extension of the period of detention of believers) and returns the case to the Kemerovo Regional Court for the\u0026nbsp;appeal stage.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n25.12.2019Late in the evening, believers leave the pre-trial detention center after 521 days in custody.\u0026nbsp;\nBelievers do not admit their guilt, insist that they are simply practicing their religion - and this is not prohibited by law. They cannot be charged with the victims or the damage caused.\u0026nbsp;\nCassation courts of general jurisdiction are an innovation in Russian legal proceedings. The cassation courts of general jurisdiction began their work on October 1, 2019. A total of 9 cassation courts of general jurisdiction were established in Saratov, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo and Vladivostok.\u0026nbsp;\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-27T09:28:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1_hu_cd81be14bdfb5045.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1_hu_12246eeb66d2954.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1_hu_6bd23e7419205342.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1506.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","sizo","disability"],"title":"The newly created Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction found the detention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kemerovo unjustified","type":"news"},{"body":"A court hearing on the measure of restraint for Bagratyan. He becomes ill right during the trial. Artem calls an ambulance. Despite the defendant's well-being, Judge Pozdnyakova extends his arrest until March 11, 2020\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20191227","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 23, 2019, the Kemerovo Regional Court changed the decision of the Berezovsky City Court on the next extension of the detention period for 3 months of Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin. On the night of December 26, they were transferred to house arrest, the hearing on the merits continues.\nThe trial for their faith against Vadim and Sergey began on June 13, 2019 (the first court hearing took place on July 30, 2019). The hearings are being held in the Berezovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region under the chairmanship of Judge Irina Vorobyova. Believers are tried for participating in worship services, interpreting this as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nLaw enforcement officers of the Kemerovo region are trying to convince the court that the peaceful practice of religion according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation is a continuation of the activities of the liquidated religious organization.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-26T11:35:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0_hu_187dcd13f6021d72.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0_hu_a1245171968de1d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0_hu_9cddf706de19f920.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1504.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest","disability"],"title":"In the Kemerovo region, Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin were released under house arrest after 521 days behind bars","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Artem Bagratyan in the pre-trial detention center. His condition is depressing. Doctors forbid him to take effective medicines, prescribing ineffective analogues.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20191226","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kaluga District Court releases Roman Makhnev from the pre-trial detention center, sending him to house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191225","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 20, 2019, Denis Nikishov, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, released 60-year-old Viktor Malkov from custody in the courtroom. A day later, the same judge made a similar decision in relation to 42-year-old Valery Shalev. After spending 240 days behind bars, believers will now languish under house arrest.\nTwo other defendants in this case, Ruslan Korolev and Yevgeny Deshko, were released from the pre-trial detention center earlier, having spent 112 and 207 days behind bars, respectively.\nFSB investigator G.P. Bezrukov objected to Viktor Malkov and Valery Shalev being released from the pre-trial detention center. Although the court rejected the FSB's request to keep them behind bars, still, under the terms of house arrest, they cannot live or even communicate with their wives, since the FSB assigned them the status of \"witnesses\" in the case (despite the fact that close relatives in Russia are exempt from the obligation to testify in the case). In addition, believers are not allowed to enter into correspondence with anyone, make phone calls, use the Internet, and so on.\nIn total, three criminal cases have been initiated against believers in the Smolensk region: the case of Shalev and others in Smolensk (4 accused), the case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka (two accused), and the case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk (two accused). All believers spent an average of 196 days in the pre-trial detention center and were placed under house arrest.\nAll three criminal cases are being investigated by the Smolensk Region Directorate of the FSB. Such formidable security forces in the region are thrown against 4 women and 4 men who are perfectly characterized, not convicted, law-abiding. There are no victims in the cases. FSB officers are forced to delve into theological issues and are now able to explain how the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses differs from the creeds of other religions. At the same time, the security forces fail to explain what, in fact, the \"extremism\" imputed to believers is. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-24T15:55:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_efed2bf8dddfe7c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e4bb76f851ed4ec5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d0406961c88c54a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_8523ed4e89fe2ff9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1496.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In the Smolensk region, after 8 months behind bars, believers Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov were transferred under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of December 19, 2019, in Vologda, security forces invaded a number of homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. On December 21, the court sent 45-year-old Nikolai Stepanov, who has a wife and son, to the pre-trial detention center. 67-year-old Yuri Baranov was placed under house arrest by the court, given that his mother needs daily care.\nBelievers say that in some cases groups of security officers consisted of 4 SOBR fighters, a technical specialist, an investigator, and witnesses. During the searches, electronic devices were seized. After hours of searches, believers, including women and minor children, were detained for interrogations that lasted until 8 p.m. At least 6 searches of believers' homes took place in the city at the same time.\nIt is known that a criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believers are suspected not just of worshiping God together, but of allegedly resuming the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Vologda\". The case is being investigated by the first department for the investigation of especially important cases (crimes against the person and public safety) of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Vologda Region. Among those who conducted searches or interrogations were investigator N.A. Shilov, investigator Denis Kamensky and detective of the Center for Countering Extremism Viktor Povzderin.\nIt is obvious that this criminal case, as well as hundreds of other cases in more than 50 regions of Russia, are a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers inappropriately interpret joint confession of religion as participation in extremist activities, which contradicts Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion for all.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-24T10:47:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1494.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","house-arrest","minors","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Mass searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda. One believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center, another was placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region Olga Alabugina releases Dmitry Kuzin from the pre-trial detention center at a closed session, sending him under house arrest for 2 months. The believer spent 182 days in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191224","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the arrest of the believer until February 11, 2020. About 25 people come to the meeting to support Albert, which pleasantly surprises relatives who are not Batchaev's fellow believers. He himself is transferred to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2019-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20191221","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends 45-year-old Nikolai Stepanov into custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2019-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20191221","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the night of December 20, 2019, in Sharypov (Krasnoyarsk Territory), believer Anton Ostapenko was released from a pre-trial detention center after spending 246 days behind bars. He was met by his wife, mother, sister, nephews, other relatives and friends.\nThe court decided to soften the measure for the believer 3 days ago, on December 17, 2019. However, on that day, the handcuffs were not removed from the believer: the judge ordered that house arrest begin only on December 20, while Anton was transferred to a temporary detention center.\nThe case against him for his faith continues to be investigated. Investigator Kunko A.M. and senior assistant to the Sharypovsky inter-district prosecutor Sharky E.Y. petitioned for an extension of the period of detention for Anton Ostapenko, who is accused of \"discussing biblical writings, prayers.\" However, the judge of the Sharypovsky City Court, Rimma Baiteryakova, refused the petition, considering that \"the grounds for extending the measure of restraint are not convincing.\"\nA peaceful believer became a victim of unfair accusations of \"continuing the activities of an extremist organization\" simply because of his religion (not banned in Russia). In another city in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Norilsk, another believer, Aleksandr Polozov, continues to be held in pre-trial detention on similar charges.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-20T10:21:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko_hu_f0583faf10151438.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko_hu_551602d2c8f00146.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko_hu_e8faf583954e410a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1480.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"At exactly midnight, Anton Ostapenko from the Krasnoyarsk Territory was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest ","type":"news"},{"body":"The Lipetsk Regional Court is holding appeal hearings on complaints about the detention of Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba. Believers participate in meetings remotely via video link from the pre-trial detention center. Both sessions are attended by about 55 attendees.\nThe court rejects petitions to change the measure of restraint to house arrest and leaves the believers in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191220","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Ostapenko was released after 246 days in jail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20191220","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 20, 2019, at 10:00 a.m., the Saratov Regional Court will consider an appeal against the verdict against six local residents sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for their faith. Court address: Saratov, st. Michurin, 85.\nOn September 19, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Aleksey Miretsky to 2 years. Such a harsh sentence is based only on their religion as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBelievers hope that the appellate court will overturn the absurd verdict for faith against innocent people. All convicts are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, not previously convicted, all have families. At the moment, they are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-19T17:07:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0_hu_27587c34f73ec7b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0_hu_7e59c7129528eec0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0_hu_423065249920e623.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1482.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","appeal","sizo"],"title":"Six peaceful Saratov residents were sentenced to prison only for their faith in Jehovah God. An appeal is scheduled for December 20 in the regional court","type":"news"},{"body":"The details of the criminal case initiated on December 2, 2019 against three residents of Lipetsk — 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin, 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov and 41-year-old Artur Netreba — became known. Among the charges are holding \"religious meetings\", dealing with \"issues of a religious nature\" and \"pastoral ministry\".\nThe investigator of the Investigation Department (SO) of the FSB of Russia in the Lipetsk region, Y. Yakushev, considered all these purely religious actions \"a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state\" and demanded that the believers be placed in a pre-trial detention center. The head of the SO S. Stepanov agreed with Yakushev, as a result of which three peaceful believers were thrown behind bars for 2 months.\nOn December 13, the regional court held an appeal hearing on the complaint of Aleksandr Kostrov, one of the three believers, for arrest. The trial attracted dozens of listeners, and court employees had to make additional benches. The believer took part in the meeting without leaving the pre-trial detention center, via video link. The court dismissed the complaint.\nThe case of the three believers from Lipetsk is not much different from the many similar cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. As in many of them, in the case of Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba there are no victims, facts of committing \"crimes\" and even specific dates. At the same time, believers often spend many months in pre-trial detention.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-19T16:59:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_b06b80a6f92e272d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_fc0d43778e65844b.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_d42f4760d7dd3669.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_fe7d7bf08e26dddf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1481.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","appeal","282.2-2"],"title":"In Lipetsk, an investigator explained the \"guilt\" of three believers sent to a pre-trial detention center ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2019, in Cherkessk, the FSB conducted at least 9 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened against Albert Batchaev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for organizing \"the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God\" and similar actions.\nThe case against the believers was initiated by the local FSB. The persecution of believers is carried out by the FSB investigator, Major of Justice M. Sapronov. At least 10 people were detained for questioning. A day later, all the believers, with the exception of Albert Batchaev, were released.\nUpdate. On December 21, 2019, the Cherkessk City Court sent Albert Batchaev to the pre-trial detention center until February 11, 2020. The decision upset about 25 friends and relatives of the believer, who came to court to support him.\nThe searches were authorized by the Circassian City Court. Neither the investigator nor the prosecutor appeared at the court hearing on the searches, which did not prevent Judge Ruslan Atayev from subjecting his innocent countrymen to such a serious restriction of rights as searches. (The peacefulness and law-abiding attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses have been well known in Karachay-Cherkessia for more than 50 years, since after 1967 believers of this religion moved here in whole communities from Siberian exile.)\nThe FSB claims that Albert Batchaev \"using his authority as a spiritual leader of the followers of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses ... He resolved issues of resolving conflict situations with followers, organized collective religious services consisting of.... sequential singing of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God.\" Although all such actions are guaranteed to everyone by the Russian Constitution (\"the right to profess any religion\"), law enforcement officials, in pursuit of indicators of the \"fight against extremism\" and possible promotion, claim that believers do not just pray and sing songs, but continue the activities of the banned organization. Authoritative Russian international organizations, governments and human rights activists, including the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pay attention to this practice.Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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.\"\nKarachay-Cherkessia became the 50th region of Russia where criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses. In total, there are 85 regions in Russia, including 22 republics, 9 territories, 46 regions, 3 cities of federal significance, 1 autonomous region and 4 autonomous districts.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-17T15:29:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_5c029784ec6c0990.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_761f82d6c4446976.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_f677d006d392a397.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_70a33382cafede0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1478.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","sizo","ivs"],"title":"Raid on believers in the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia. A 43-year-old Christian pastor is being held in the FSB for the second day","type":"news"},{"body":"The regional court is holding an appeal hearing on the complaint of Alexander Kostrov for detention. Dozens of listeners come to the court, court employees provide additional seats. The believer participates in the hearing via video link from the pre-trial detention center. The court dismisses the complaint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191213","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tomorrow, December 12, at 11:00 a.m., the Saratov Regional Court will consider an appeal against the verdict against six local residents sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for their faith. Court address: Saratov, st. Michurin, 85.\nOn September 19, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Aleksey Miretsky to 2 years. Such a harsh sentence is based only on their religion as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBelievers hope that the appellate court will overturn the absurd verdict for faith against innocent people. All convicts are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, not previously convicted, all have families. At the moment, they are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region.\nUpdate. About 150 people came to the hearing, but only 40 were allowed into the hall. It turned out that the lawyer of one of the accused did not appear, so a new one was appointed to him. The court postponed the hearing until December 20 so that the new lawyer could familiarize herself with the case materials and the complaint.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-11T11:25:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_293b6503195afdb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_5ae1033d96411da5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_1f645c74241125b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_71be1bc946c627bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1462.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"On December 12, an appeals court in Saratov will decide whether to imprison six local Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2019, the judge of the Neftekumskiy District Court, Oleg Kuts, released the believers from custody in the courtroom. All three were assigned a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. They spent almost a year in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe mitigation of the measure of restraint was petitioned by the investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Stavropol Territory, A. Astakhov, who investigates the \"criminal\" religion of young people. According to him, now believers will not be able to interfere with the investigation, since most of the necessary investigative actions have been completed.\nNow Akopov, Sultanov and Samsonov will be able to live at home and even work, but they will have to wear special sensors that record their movements. They are forbidden to use mail, telephone and the Internet, communicate with witnesses in the case and change their place of residence.\nThe criminal case against the three Neftekumians is just one of 116 cases brought against peaceful believers across Russia. As a result of these religious persecutions, 8 people have already received prison sentences, others have been fined heavily. Three believers were acquitted.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-06T14:11:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_a587327df3da6689.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_c4357cec489a62bd.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_48974b276f1539e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_176ffba78374dd6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1455.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","ankle-tag"],"title":"Aleksandr Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov were released from pre-trial detention center in Neftekumsk. They were put on electronic bracelets ","type":"news"},{"body":"The court made the decision on December 4, 2019, without notifying any of the relatives. It was found out that the men are still in a temporary detention center, and in mid-December they should be transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Lipetsk region. The case is being conducted by Y. V. Yakushev, an investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Lipetsk region.\nThe Lipetsk region has become the 49th region of Russia where believers are persecuted. On December 2, 2019, at least 7 searches were carried out in the regional center. Having burst into one of the dwellings, the FSB officers knocked down the owner of the apartment, while she received a head injury, and an ambulance had to be called. The men present in the apartment were handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor.\nBy midnight, believers from different places were taken for a 5-hour interrogation to the FSB department. 41-year-old Artur Netreba, 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin and 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov were arrested.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-05T15:44:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_72305b2fb5a1974f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a2e59549e53aa24c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_88a56cf23d595095.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_70267bbf847a76b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1449.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","siloviks-violence","health-risk","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"In Lipetsk, believers Artur Netreba, Viktor Bachurin and Aleksandr Kostrov were sent to a pre-trial detention center. The FSB insisted on their arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"Without notifying the relatives, the court sends Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netrebr to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Relatives manage to find out that investigator Yakushev insisted on this measure of restraint. The men are being held in a temporary detention center, and later it is planned to transfer them to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Lipetsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191204","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk extends the period of detention for Zhinzhikov and Khokhlov for another 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191202","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 27, 2019, the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court refused to consider the case against Ilham Karimov, Konstantin Matrashov, Vladimir Myakushin and Aydar Yulmetyev. The court pointed to a significant violation of the law committed at the pre-trial stage and returned the case to the prosecutor of the Republic of Tatarstan.\nThe court drew attention to the fact that the investigators handed the defendants one text of the charge, and presented another to the court with a significantly expanded charge. In addition, the investigation, followed by the prosecutor's office, qualified the actions of believers under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation completely arbitrarily, clearly not understanding what, in fact, their \"crime\" was.\nDespite the court's bold decision to return the case, the believers remain under recognizance not to leave. The case against them has not been closed.\nUpdate. On February 14, the Supreme Court of Tatarstan considered the appeal against the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor and upheld the decision of the lower court. A dark period in the history of religious freedom in Tatarstan began on May 27, 2018. Law enforcement officers raided 10 apartments of local residents who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches and interrogations in the homes of peaceful believers began on Sunday evening and continued until late at night. Law enforcement officers introduced themselves as employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. All electronic devices, mobile phones, and passports were confiscated from the believers, including four men, 10 women (including the elderly) and a child.\nIlham Karimov, 37, Vladimir Myakushin, 30, Konstantin Matrashov, 29, and Aidar Yulmetyev, 24, were arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months. After that, each of them spent another 2 months under house arrest.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. This criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia, which on April 20, 2017, liquidated and recognized as \"extremist\" 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-29T17:35:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_79a2e02e99332800.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_b68329bcdf142253.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_b4d5e933fcf14829.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_91f12af3f381c077.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1434.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","fabrications","case-to-prosecutor","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Four believers from Tatarstan spent six months in a pre-trial detention center - and now the court has returned their case to the prosecutor because of falsifications!","type":"news"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk extends the period of detention for Silayeva and Shamsheva for another 2 months, that is, until February 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191129","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Berezovsky City Court extends the period of detention of Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk for another 3 months, that is, until March 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20191127","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The imprisonment of all four was extended until January 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20191127","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Close to the critical state of health of Nikolai Kuzichkin is a law-abiding, previously unconvicted piano tuner. Lack of treatment for life-threatening diseases has already led him to lose 24 kilograms in just a month and a half. He was arrested during a raid on believers on October 10, 2019.\nOn November 14, 2019, Nikolay Kuzichkin told his lawyer: \"The management of the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 and the head of the medical unit Sidelnikov refused my numerous applications requesting my medical examination and treatment. At the same time, Sidelnikov verbally explained to me that, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he does not have the right to send me for medical examination and treatment. [...] I believe that I, as a sick person, do not receive medical care. All this is inhuman treatment and torture.\"\nEarlier, on October 30, Nikolai Kuzichkin's lawyer appealed to the head of the Armavir pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for a medical examination. After a week of deliberation, on November 6, Maksim Tereshchenko rejected the petition, citing the fact that Kuzichkin's condition did not fit the \"list of diseases that impede detention.\"\nNikolay Kuzichkin, 68, is the oldest of 40 Jehovah's Witnesses currently held in prison for their faith. The decision to send him, as well as Vyacheslav Popov, to prison for his faith was made by 35-year-old judge Nikolai Shevelev, a native of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi). Before that, on October 10, 2019, in Sochi, from the Lazarevskoye microdistrict up to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia, a total of 36 searches were carried out in one day.\nOn November 20, 2019, the term of detention of Nikolay Kuzichkin was extended by Judge Martynenko for another 1 month, until December 24, 2019.\nLetters of support to the believer can be sent to: Kuzichkin Nikolay Nikolaevich, born in 1951, FKU SIZO-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory, Pugachev str., 32, Armavir, Krasnodar Territory, Russia, 352909.\nCorrespondence can be sent by regular mail or through the FSIN-letter system.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2019-11-26T11:10:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_643a6864718c4376.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e857c34e4bdf0cde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_344187f1bc123111.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1408.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment"],"title":"The health of a 68-year-old believer from Sochi has deteriorated to a threatening state in the Armavir pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Martynenko, judge of the Sochi Central District Court, extends the period of detention of both believers by 1 month, until December 24, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191120","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov were transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Bryansk region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191118","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yoshkar-Ola City Court extends the detention of Ekaterina Pegasheva in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20191118","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detention of women has been extended again.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20191111","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for another 6 months. At the same time, it turns out that Yuriy was placed in a punishment cell for 14 days in a pre-trial detention center without explanation.\nAs of October 30, 2019, in just under a year in the pre-trial detention center, Yuriy received a total of 2542 letters of support from fellow believers around the world.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20191030","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 5, 2019, D. S. Pozdnyakov, a senior forensic investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory, charged Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov in absentia under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Their alleged fault is that in April 2018 they met with friends in the conference room of the hotel complex and read the Holy Scriptures together.\nSemenyuk and Svetonosov were charged along with Yevgeny Aksyonov, who has been under house arrest since August 6, 2019, when his apartment was searched. The number of believers persecuted in Khabarovsk has reached 10 people. One of them, Valery Moskalenko, was sentenced on September 2, 2019 to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor and 6 months of restricted freedom. A decision by the Court of Appeal is awaited.\nOn August 13, 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, in the absence of the accused, chose a measure of restraint for them in the form of detention. According to investigators, Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov are outside of Russia. They are on the international wanted list. Returning to their homeland threatens each of them with immediate imprisonment.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-29T08:00:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1_hu_4d9b0f700cb05c38.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1_hu_47e317bbf397c366.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1_hu_801a71917c6929b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1301.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"Arrested in absentia. In Khabarovsk, two more men became defendants because of their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 24, 2019, in Novozybkov (Bryansk Region), a court sent two local Jehovah's Witnesses, 42-year-old Vladimir Khokhlov and 47-year-old Eduard Zhinzhikov, to the pre-trial detention center until December 3. They were detained the day before after searches in their homes. 2 women from Novozybkov are already in jail for their faith.\nAs of October 28, 2019, there are 44 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 7 women, in various prisons in Russia.\nOlga Silaeva and Tatyana Shamsheva from Novozybsk were arrested during mass searches conducted in the Bryansk region on June 11, 2019, in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives. Then, in total, in the city of Unecha, the city of Novozybkov, in the village. Klimovo and the village of Dobrik underwent 22 searches. Searches were carried out in families with small children, as well as in the home of an 83-year-old woman.\nMany local believers report that they are being followed.\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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.\"\nVladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov are in Detention Center No. 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Bryansk Region at the address: 9 Red Square Street, Novozybkov, Bryansk Region, 243000.\nUpdate. On November 18, 2019, it became known that Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov were transferred to Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Bryansk Region at the address: 2 Sovetskaya Street, Bryansk, 241050\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-28T22:39:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1295.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo"],"title":"Two More Jehovah's Witnesses Arrested in Bryansk Region ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 26, 2019, the Norilsk City Court placed 49-year-old Aleksandr Polozov in a pre-trial detention center. Prior to this, the special forces staged a mass raid at the camp site, where Alexander was along with his fellow believers. It is noteworthy that initially the believer was placed only on recognizance not to leave.\nImmediately after the raid on the camp site on October 20, Aleksandr Polozov was taken to the building of the Investigative Committee for interrogation. Investigators were actively interested in his religious beliefs. On October 22, the investigator chose a recognizance agreement for him, but three days later a closed trial was held, during which the believer was placed in a temporary detention center. The result of the hearing on October 26 was a tightening of the measure of restraint. Now Aleksandr will be in jail for at least two months.\nThe believer is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organization of extremist activity. On similar charges, based solely on religion, cases were opened against five more civilians in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-28T15:40:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709_hu_8beabca5fbe48988.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709_hu_c2139a93f3450d46.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709_hu_a8e852d2bca96ee7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1294.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","recognizance-agreement","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"In Norilsk, the court toughened the measure of restraint for Alexander Polozov. A peaceful citizen was thrown behind bars ","type":"news"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of believers until 26.12.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191026","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Polozov was arrested and sent to pre-trial detention center Norilsk, 13 Oktyabrskaya Street, Norilsk, in accordance with the Resolution on the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention, adopted by the judge of the Norilsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Shatrova A.V. for a period of 2 months, i.e. until December 20, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2019-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20191026","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court sends Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Bryansk region. Appeals have been filed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191024","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Kursk, after mass searches on October 16, 2019 and subsequent interrogations of believers , Andrey Andreyev, as well as spouses Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan, were arrested for 27 days. The believers were placed in custody until November 11, 2019 inclusive. Criminal cases against three citizens are combined into one, it is being investigated by the investigative department of the FSB in the Kursk region.\nAccording to incomplete information, searches in Kursk took place at more than 10 addresses, and law enforcement officers invaded some local residents at 6 am. After the searches, many believers were taken away for interrogations, during which FSB officers intimidated them, threatening to open criminal cases against both themselves and their family members. For three believers, these threats became a reality.\nAs follows from the documents of the case, Andrey Andreev is accused of continuing the activities of a certain \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan are charged with participation in the activities of this organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt is noteworthy that, although the decisions on detention were made by different judges of the Leninsky District Court of Kursk (Judge Inessa Kvaskova sent Alevtina Bagratyan to the pre-trial detention center, and Judge Tatyana Pozdnyakova issued an arrest warrant for Artem Bagratyan and Andrey Andreev), the terms of imprisonment for all three are the same, which indicates the coordination of actions.\n90 kilometers from Kursk in the city of Lgov (Kursk region), Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen sentenced to 6 years just because he did not renounce his beliefs, is serving a sentence. Many Russian and international organizations, such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Human Rights Society Memorial, spoke out in support of Christensen.\nUpdate. On October 24, 2019, 4 more searches of believers took place in Kursk - two of older women, and one in front of a young child. A laptop, phones, digital media were seized.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-23T10:12:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1274.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Kursk, Two Men and One Woman Sent to a Pre-Trial Detention Center for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 21, 2019, the hearing in the case of Sergey Klimov, who is accused of extremism only because he did not stop practicing his religion after the decision of the Supreme Court, continued in Tomsk. The prosecutor's office believes that this \"crime\" should be punishable by 7 years in prison.\nThe believer is being tried under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). Speaking in the debate in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk, the prosecutor said that all evidence of Klimov's \"extremist activities\" had been found, for example, making speeches and singing songs. At the same time, the prosecutor admitted that the defendant's legal involvement in the banned religious organization has not been established, however, according to the prosecution, there are signs indicating his role as a \"de facto leader\" and \"spiritual leader\".\nThe prosecutor's office requested for the defendant a sentence of 7 years in prison with serving in a penal colony of general regime, plus another year and a half of restriction of freedom. It is also proposed to ban educational activities and post any materials on the Internet for 8 years.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for October 28, after which the verdict is expected.\nSergey Klimov has been in pre-trial detention for more than a year, since June 3, 2018.\nOn April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses or restrict the right of citizens to practice it, which was then further clarified by the Government of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-21T14:19:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta_hu_d27042c6e935ecd2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta_hu_9a120aca42c812d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta_hu_6dc985322caa6ba9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1267.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"The Tomsk Prosecutor's Office requested 7 years in prison for Sergey Klimov because of his religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 10, 2019, groups of armed special forces broke down the doors and broke into the apartments of dozens of Sochi residents through the balcony. Both young and old were laid face down on the floor. The action, resembling a special operation against terrorists, turned out to be searches of those who believe in God differently from others.\nSearches in the homes of peaceful believers were carried out at at least 19 addresses in Sochi and its environs. Not only local security officials participated in the special operation, judging by the license plates, even outfits from the Rostov and Volgograd regions joined.\nThe reason for the raid in Sochi was a criminal case under the \" extremist\" article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which is being investigated by the senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Petrunnikov.\nThey stormed through the balcony. Vyacheslav and Yulia Popov are among those to whom special forces raided the apartment. The assault began at about 7 p.m. Armed masked men burst through the balcony, breaking the handrails. At this time, there were children at home who were very frightened and crying. The security forces immediately took Vyacheslav away for interrogation, then, presenting the decision of the judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, began a search that lasted more than an hour and a half. Cell phones, tablets and other computer equipment were seized from the family, as well as some printed publications, notebooks with personal notes and postcards.\nThe whole family is at gunpoint. On the same evening, employees of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by the National Guard, invaded the house of 26-year-old Normund Gudin. They forced the entire family, including Normund's parents and even his elderly grandmother, to lie on the floor at gunpoint. The search lasted more than three hours. During the search of another family, Vladislav and Alla Martynov, law enforcement officers planted a religious publication that did not belong to them. The security forces admitted that it was unpleasant for them themselves, but that was their job.\nA search warrant issued by Anna Voronkova, a judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, was presented as grounds for the intrusion.\nTwo believers in a pre-trial detention center. As a result of the raid on believers in Sochi, two people were detained - 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov. On October 11, a trial was held, Judge Shevelev decided to arrest them and place them in a pre-trial detention center until November 24. Believers came to support their relatives, friends and acquaintances, some gathered at the entrance to the building. They supported their fellow believers with applause as the paddy wagon took them to the place of detention.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-21T14:16:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_629c956bfc528fb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_5ec894a2047700ee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_195644e9b5393c11.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1266.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","elderly","sizo","plant"],"title":"Elderly Woman Facing the Floor and Planted Material Evidence: Details of the Raid on Believers in Sochi","type":"news"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov in custody until 20.12.2019\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20191020","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Dmitriy Barmakin from custody. He spent 447 days in jail. The prison sentence has been replaced by the prohibition of certain actions.\nAgent provocateur Petrova, recruited by the FSB to attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, is interrogated. Detective Gaifullin is present during the interrogation, stands behind the witness. The prosecution witness is tense and clearly biased against the believers. Nevertheless, Petrova testifies that Dmitry Barmakin never called for extremism. She did not receive any threats. The Supreme Court did not prohibit the Jehovah's Witnesses' creeds or their joint meetings.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for December 6, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20191018","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches and interrogations of believers are underway in Kursk. Early in the morning, the security forces come to the homes of Oleksandr Vospitanyuk, Andrey Ryshkov, the Bagratyans couple and Andrey Andreev. Believers are taken away for interrogation.\nAndrey Andreyev, as well as spouses Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan were arrested. The believers were remanded in custody until November 11, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20191016","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 11, 2019, the Central District Court of Sochi sent to the pre-trial detention center Nikolay Kuzichkin and Vyacheslav Popov, who had been detained the day before during a mass raid on believers. Nikolay Kuzichkin, 68, is the oldest of 40 Jehovah's Witnesses currently held in prison for their faith.\nThe decision to send his fellow countrymen to prison for their faith was made by 35-year-old judge Nikolai Shevelev, a native of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi). Dozens of their friends came to the court to support the believers.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-15T16:55:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_ec458fc47fdd1ac1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_5c08a8dc95a0a275.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_44c9e77fc89f70ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1246.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"title":"Two Sochi residents have been sent to jail for their faith until at least November 24, 2019","type":"news"},{"body":"The text of an open letter from Roman Makhnev, who has been held in a pre-trial detention center for more than three months because of his religion, to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov, is given. The believer draws attention to violations during the investigation and asks for a fair and impartial trial.\nRoman Makhnev was arrested on June 26, 2019, along with Dmitry Kuzin, another believer from Kaluga. Roman stated that during the search he was planted compromising evidence - banned literature. Then, in the FSB building, he was handcuffed to a radiator until morning and kept without food for a long time. Both believers were thrown behind bars as dangerous criminals, despite the lack of evidence of guilt and victims of their actions, only because they profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nA similar letter was written by Dmitry Kuzin.\nLetter from Roman Makhnev:\nAn Open Letter\nTo the Governor of the Kaluga Region\nArtamonov Anatoly Dmitrievich\nfrom a prisoner in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kaluga region\nMakhnev Roman Sergeyevich, b. 04.02.1976\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich!\nSince the 1990s, I have professed the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made an unprecedented decision to liquidate the legal entities \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and a large number of local religious organizations, including the \"LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga.\" I have never been a member of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga. I worshipped Jehovah God both before the appearance of these legal entities, and after their liquidation, on the basis of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation as the fundamental law of the country.\nMy quiet life as a law-abiding resident of Kaluga ended on June 26, 2019, when criminal case No. 11907290001000019 was opened against me under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The house where I live with my wife and minor daughter was searched by the FSB of Russia in the Kaluga region. As I stated in the search report, several printed publications \"found\" in my house do not belong to me and were planted during the search. I demanded that \"sweat-fat studies\" of these things be carried out in order to establish the involvement of me or my relatives in their presence in my house. However, this was not done by the investigation. During the search, which lasted until half past three at night, I was constantly handcuffed like a dangerous criminal. After that, I was taken to the FSB building, where I was left chained to a radiator until the morning and was not fed for almost two days.\nOn June 28, the Kaluga District Court remanded me in custody for 2 months. The court considered that I was caught committing a crime. What really happened? At the time of the start of the search, I was repairing a washing machine.\nOn August 26, the district court extended my stay in custody for another 2 months, although the investigator did not present any additional facts, except for a positive characterization from the pre-trial detention center. According to the incriminated article, I face up to 10 years in prison as a dangerous criminal! For what? For praying to God and reading the Bible differently than someone else? At the same time, I can avoid punishment altogether if I voluntarily stop believing in God. It is reminiscent of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages.\nLaw enforcers confuse the ban issued by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on April 17, 2017 against legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and the opportunity to freely express their faith, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. I did not establish or resume any activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga.\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich! I am not asking you to interfere in the course of the investigation and the trial. But I observe the following picture. The criminal case was initiated in a hurry (in 20 minutes). Court hearings on the measure of restraint are held behind closed doors. Human rights defenders are not allowed to attend them. The court of two instances on the search ignored numerous violations by the investigation. These actions do not testify to the impartiality of the judicial system and the objectivity of the investigation. Residents of the region, including people of different faiths, including Jehovah's Witnesses, cannot calmly observe such facts. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clearly indicated that its decision would not affect the usual practice of believers. In fact, everything turns out differently. And this is happening despite repeated calls from human rights defenders to change the situation. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke out in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nI ask you to pay attention to what is happening in our region and encourage law enforcement agencies to be objective in investigating this case.\nMakhnev R.S.\n28.08.2019\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-11T16:28:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_5840e62985f22c29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a5bd9f2a03857d03.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_66968e1e0cb175e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a475d0fe6a709e69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1235.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Roman Makhnev's Open Letter to the Governor of the Kaluga Region","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Sochi Nikolay Shevelev sends both believers to the pre-trial detention center until November 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191011","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Armed security officers conduct a record 36 searches in a single day, from the Lazarevskoye neighborhood to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia. During the searches, 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 3, 2019, in the capital of the Republic of Mari El, searches were carried out in the homes of believers. According to preliminary data, the case under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was initiated against 30-year-old Ekaterina Pegasheva, she was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Yoshkar-Ola. Thus, 7 women and 33 men are in various prisons in Russia for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIt is known about three searches in the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva: two took place in Yoshkar-Ola, one in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region), where her mother lives. During the searches, books and videos, electronic devices, personal letters and documents were seized, including even a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam. Other details of the incident are being clarified.\nThe number of criminal cases against peaceful believers is growing throughout the country, despite the explanation of the Government of the Russian Federation that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited and citizens have the right to practice it. This was recently confirmed by the district court in Kostroma.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-08T22:26:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e72af37aa75d1f1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7805ecde99cd73d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_df8ef87054fb48b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_5350b2c269f17eb4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1202.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"A criminal case for faith in Yoshkar-Ola. A young woman was sent to jail","type":"news"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to Ekaterina Pegasheva. She is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mari El.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20191004","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva are extended their detention for another 2 months, until December 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190930","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The imprisonment of all four has been extended until November 27, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190927","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Kuzin, who is being held in jail because of his faith, wrote an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov. The full text of the letter is below.\nThe believer was arrested on June 26, 2019. Together with him, another resident of Kaluga, Roman Makhnev, ended up in the pre-trial detention center. The investigation considers it a crime only that both profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn his letter, Dmitry Kuzin draws attention to violations during the investigation and false accusations of extremism.\nLetter from Dmitry Kuzin:\nAn Open Letter\nTo the Governor of the Kaluga Region\nArtamonov Anatoly Dmitrievich\nfrom a prisoner in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kaluga region\nKuzina Dmitry Yevgenievich, b. 10.07.1965\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich!\nOn 26.06.2019, the Investigative Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Kaluga Region initiated a criminal case under 11907290001000019Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, I allegedly \"took active organizational actions aimed at continuing illegal activities in the territory of the city of Kaluga, which was banned by the court of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kaluga, expressed in the unification of the followers of the world organization of Jehovah's Witnesses living in the territory of the city of Kaluga under a single leadership; convening meetings in residential premises; organization of religious speeches and services at these meetings\", etc.\nLaw enforcement officers mistakenly interpret the peaceful religion of citizens as \"participation in extremist activities.\" Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President himself have already drawn attention to this problem. The Russian government stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nBut despite this, my wife and I were illegally searched in my apartment on the night of June 26-27, 2019 without a court order. All this time I was handcuffed, although I did not offer any resistance. We were not allowed to move freely around the apartment. The FSB officer E.V. Beijing, who led the search, exerted emotional pressure on my wife and me, raised his voice. Our personal belongings were seized. On 28.06.2019, the judge of the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region, M.A. Lvov, chose a measure of restraint for me in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, later this decision was upheld. On 26.08.2019, my stay in the pre-trial detention center was extended by 2 months despite the serious chronic diseases that I have and which require regular examination and treatment, which is impossible in the pre-trial detention center. The relevant medical documents were submitted to the courts, but this was not taken into account.\nMy wife appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kaluga Region Zelnikov Y.I., to the Commissioner for Human Rights Moskalkova T.N., my lawyers appealed to Fedotov M.A., Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich, I would like to ask you to pay attention to my situation, to the fact that my constitutional right to freedom of religion has been violated, to the fact that I am being persecuted for my faith. I have nothing to do with extremism, I am a peaceful person, I am well characterized at my place of work and I am not guilty of the crimes of which I am accused.\nKuzin Dmitry Evgenievich\n28.08.2019\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-09-24T15:04:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876_hu_9159210c340e9a09.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876_hu_b5bb91d1599473ac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876_hu_57ed8afd787aeda2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1152.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters"],"title":"The arrested Jehovah's Witness wrote an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region. Its text is given","type":"news"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190920","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer appeals against the decision of the Partizansky City Court of 17.09.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190919","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The presiding judge of the Partizansky City Court E. A. Shklyar makes a decision to extend the period of detention for another 1 month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190917","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court orders an extension of the detention for another 2 months, until November 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190910","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two years and two months of forced labor and another six months of restriction of freedom - this is the sentence handed down to Valery Moskalenko by the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk on September 2, 2019. At the same time, the court did not support the petition for a prison term for a peaceful believer convicted of reading the Bible.\nOn the morning of September 2, 2019, Judge Ivan Belykh announced the verdict, in which he only partially supported the position of the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor called for the believer to be sent to jail for three years under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). The key episode for the prosecution was the events that took place on April 21, 2018 in the conference hall of the Yerofey hotel complex. There, Moskalenko quoted the words of Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount. A ten-minute audio recording of the reading of this passage with commentary formed the basis of the indictment.\nAfter the verdict was announced, 52-year-old Valery Moskalenko was released from custody in the courtroom to the delight of his family and friends. He has been in jail for more than a year, since August 2, 2018. Before being taken into custody, he worked as an assistant locomotive driver and cared for his sick mother. Under the terms of restriction of freedom, he cannot travel outside Khabarovsk and must report to the penitentiary inspectorate once a month.\nThe believer's defense believes that a guilty verdict for believing in God and quoting the words of Jesus Christ cannot be considered legitimate, so it intends to appeal the verdict.\nIn addition to Valery Moskalenko, 7 more believers in the Khabarovsk Territory are awaiting sentences for similar \"crimes\". In this Russian region, as in many others, law enforcement officers deny citizens the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which contradicts not only Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but also the position of the Government and the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-09-02T14:10:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434_hu_ab863688bdd804b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434_hu_a4ae4c64c2e1e71e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434_hu_70b114c97824b381.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1115.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"2 years and 2 months of forced labor and 6 months of restricted freedom for reading the Bible. Valery Moskalenko at large, but with a guilty verdict ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 30, 2019, speaking in a debate in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Assistant Prosecutor Anatoly Grigorenko announced that Valery Moskalenko, who has been in jail for 13 months, should be sent to a general regime colony for 3 years just because he professes faith in Jehovah God. Before the pre-trial detention center, Valeriy lived with his elderly mother and provided her with daily care, which she desperately needs. Read the chronicle of the process.\nAn episode of Moskalenko's life, which the local FSB considered a crime, was a meeting of friends in the conference room of the hotel, during which he read the words from the Gospel: \"Learn from the lilies of the field how they grow: they do not work and do not spin, but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any of them. If God dresses the plants of the field in this way, which are there today and will be thrown into the furnace tomorrow, then will He not clothe you, you of little faith? So never worry and say, 'What should we eat?' or 'What should we drink?' or 'What should I wear?'\" Moskalenko explained to the court that his comments on the Sermon on the Mount were exclusively peaceful. He talked about how to overcome worries about economic difficulties.\nLawyers spoke in the debate of the parties. At the end of the debate of the parties, the defendant addressed the court with the last word, after which the court will retire to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-30T10:18:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169_hu_308a4c3a83f17e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169_hu_af343531ab5735d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169_hu_610cfb9ec5d8c937.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1114.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","sizo","liberty-deprivation","defense-arguments"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the prosecution requested 3 years in prison for reading a passage from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. The verdict will be announced on September 2","type":"news"},{"body":"Believers who are being held in pre-trial detention are writing an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov. Dmitry Kuzin in his letter reports on abuses by FSB officer E. Beijing, who led the search in his apartment.\nRoman Makhnev informs the governor that printed publications were planted in his house, that he demanded to conduct a sweat study of these publications (to identify fingerprints) in order to prove that he or his relatives were not involved in them, but this was not done by the investigation. In addition, Roman Makhnev reports that during the search, which lasted until half past three at night, he was constantly handcuffed, and in the FSB building he was handcuffed to a radiator until the morning and was not fed for two days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190828","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","plant","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Gobrusenko, judge of the Kaluga District Court, extends the arrest of believers for another 2 months. At the same time, the judge commits gross violations and reveals a biased attitude towards believers. The decision is appealed to the Kaluga Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190826","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Volgograd chooses a measure of restraint for Denis Peresunko in the form of detention until October 13, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190823","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 14, 2019, a resident of Smolensk, Ruslan Korolev, was released from the pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost four months. Now the believer will be under house arrest, but three more men and two women remain imprisoned in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center.\nRuslan Korolev, 37, was arrested on April 25, 2019, along with two other citizens. Before that, according to the already familiar scenario, searches were carried out in the houses of believers, and the security forces themselves were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Department of the FSB, from where they never left, having gone to jail.\nA few days later, Yevgeny Deshko, the fourth suspect in this criminal case, was detained in Dagomys (Krasnodar Territory). All these civilians are accused of \"extremist activities.\" The case is being investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region.\nTwo women are also being held in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center on similar charges: Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova, both of retirement age, and before them, Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina spent more than six months behind bars.\nPeaceful believers across the country continue to face criminal prosecution and real prison terms. This is happening despite the protests of international organizations such as the European Union's foreign policy service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights . In Russia itself, the absurdity of accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses is recognized by public figures and even Russian President Vladimir Putin. 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.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-08-19T16:48:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r_hu_116b0f8ef4f4d5ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r_hu_4032e991d238a4e0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r_hu_9eb37f036483bac1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1073.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"The believer was released under house arrest after 112 days in a Smolensk pre-trial detention center ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 15, 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk completed the judicial investigation in the criminal case against local resident Valery Moskalenko. He faces up to 6 years in prison for the fact that in the spring of 2018, in the conference hall of the hotel, he, according to the investigation, talked with friends about faith in Jehovah God. On August 28, the debate will begin, during which the prosecution will request punishment for the believer.\nThe case is being heard by Judge Ivan Belykh, the investigation was conducted by the local FSB department. In December 2018, the lawyers sent the complaint \"Moskalenko v. Russia\" to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to consider it as a priority in accordance with the policy of the Strasbourg Court. The complaint draws attention to the violation by the Russian Federation of several articles of the European Convention at once, including Articles 9, 3, 8, 17 and/or 18 (considered alone or jointly with other articles). The initiation of the case became known in August 2018. FSB and OMON officers invaded 6 houses of civilians in Khabarovsk, seized religious literature, mobile phones and other personal belongings of citizens. Among others, Valery Moskalenko was interrogated and taken into custody. He was accused of participating in worship services and \"hymns reflecting the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Valery Moskalenko is an assistant driver of an electric locomotive by profession. Before being placed in a pre-trial detention center, Valeriy lived with his elderly mother and provided her with daily care, which she desperately needs. When he was arrested, she became ill, she had to call an ambulance.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-15T10:50:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0_hu_bf906f76fa2a38a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0_hu_755724c945518180.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0_hu_c57b019ca489577.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1069.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","sizo","echr","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the trial of a 52-year-old believer is coming to an end. He has been in jail for more than a year ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 12, 2019, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court upheld the decision of the lower court, which sent 51-year-old Alexander Vavilov to a pre-trial detention center for his faith. Alexei Oreshkov, 48, is also behind bars. Both are accused of participating in extremist activities, which is how the investigating authorities interpret the peaceful religious beliefs of citizens.\nTwo believers have been in pre-trial detention centers since mid-July 2019. At the moment, it is known that Alexander Vavilov was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 2 of the Kstovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Alexei Oreshkov is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Nizhny Novgorod. Both are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in extremist activities). This was preceded by mass searches and detentions of believers in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which took place on July 16 and 17, 2019.\nAccording to the materials of the case, the believers Vavilov and Oreshkov, \"realizing a joint criminal intent, acting intentionally, by a group of persons by prior conspiracy ... took active steps aimed at... conducting religious speeches and services\" (from the decision to bring A. V. Vavilov as an accused, signed by investigator S. S. Sosunov).\nAt the moment, more than ten believers in the Nizhny Novgorod region have been prosecuted because of their religion. Law enforcement agencies are convinced that residents of the region are forbidden to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which directly contradicts the position of the Government and the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-08-13T15:54:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1051.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","282.2-2"],"title":"Two residents of the Nizhny Novgorod region were imprisoned because of their faith ","type":"news"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, in the absence of the accused, chooses a measure of restraint for both believers in the form of detention. Now returning to their homeland threatens them with immediate imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190813","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While under house arrest, 45-year-old Maksim Khalturin, as far as possible, continues to take care of his elderly parents. He himself draws strength, among other things, from letters from people who are not indifferent to his situation. He could receive letters while he was in jail. Under house arrest, correspondence is prohibited. Maksim's mother, Galina Khalturina, is over 80 years old, and his father has suffered a stroke and especially needs help. On October 9, 2018, after a series of searches in Kirov, Maksim Khalturin and four other believers were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for singing biblical songs together and studying the Holy Scriptures. (Read more about the events in the 10-minute video \"Ruthless Searches and Arrests of Believers in Kirov.\") Later, Maksim, as well as his fellow believers Vladimir Korobeynikov, Andrey and Yevgeny Suvorkov, were transferred to house arrest. As for Andrzej Oniszczuk, he is still languishing in a pre-trial detention center.\nFriends and relatives of Kirov residents hope that soon the label of extremists will be removed from these decent people. After all, Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians, and many wonder why they are being persecuted. ","category":"prison","date":"2019-08-06T15:03:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2_hu_a2a6e2bf5ebdf21f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2_hu_4f74dbd388dc961a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2_hu_9672c42a2c2d9f64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1018.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters"],"title":"During the 122 days in the pre-trial detention center, the believer received 562 letters of support ","type":"news"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva until October 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190801","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Andrzej Oniszczuk's stay in the pre-trial detention center until October 2, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190731","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev and Marat Abdulgalimov are sitting in the Makhachkala pre-trial detention center for their faith. On July 25, 2019, Dalgat Hajiyev, a judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala, ordered that their detention be extended until September 27, 2019, despite the fact that the only charge against them is their religion. Believers ended up in prison after a raid on the homes of believers, which took place in Dagestan on June 1, 2019. Dozens of Makhachkala residents came to support their friends at the court hearing. All four are clearly aware that they have not done anything wrong or illegal, and maintain a positive attitude. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-30T16:14:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala_hu_d8b89e5d9c86483e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala_hu_ea2733a62e65f31d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala_hu_d6dc7f6bdd3f1247.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/1007.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Dagestan, a court extended the detention of four Christians in prison ","type":"news"},{"body":"Dalgat Hajiyev, judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala, orders to extend the imprisonment of all four believers for 2 months, until September 27.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190727","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190720","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court, having considered the appeal, decides to reduce the period of his detention by 2 days, namely until September 5, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190717","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Partizansk City Court, chaired by Judge M. Y. Sundyukova, decides to extend the period of detention of Irina Buglak for another 2 months. Thus, she will have to spend 153 days in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190717","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces detain and interrogate local residents Aleksey Oreshkov and Aleksandr Vavilov. They are charged under Article 282.2(2).\nThe Pavlovsk City Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region chooses a measure of restraint for both believers in the form of detention until 15.09.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 5, 2019, the Ivanovo Regional Court released 33-year-old Yevgeny Spirin from pre-trial detention and transferred him from custody to house arrest. In total, the believer spent 160 days in prison. It is noteworthy that this peace-loving citizen of Russia, who is now accused of extremist activities, in the past underwent alternative civilian service, because his conscience did not allow him to take up arms. Yevgeny Spirin was arrested on January 27, 2019 and sent to a pre-trial detention center the next day as a result of a series of searches of residents of the city of Furmanov (Ivanovo region). The criminal case is being conducted by the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region A. Dmitriev. The believer faces from 6 to 10 years in prison. Yevgeniy Spirin is forbidden to leave his home, communicate with anyone (except his wife, investigator and lawyer), surf the Internet, make phone calls, receive and send mail. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-13T00:01:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903_hu_a064d4b13b56aa46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903_hu_39d48743281bc354.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903_hu_a64dd34ab189c6e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/958.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, six months after his arrest, a believer was released ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2019, Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgiy Nikulin were released in Saransk (Mordovia) after 147 days behind bars. The investigation of the criminal case continues.\nAccording to the investigation, the locusts were engaged in \"spreading ideology and faith among the inhabitants of the Republic of Mordovia ... by conducting conversations in public places and living quarters with residents of the city of Saransk and other settlements\", which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\".\nThe case of Shevchuk and others in Saransk was initiated on February 4, 2019. After 2 days, the Mordovian FSB conducted searches of 9 Saransk families of Jehovah's Witnesses. Aleksandr Shevchuk, Vladimir Atryakhin and Georgiy Nikulin were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Currently, all of them are under recognizance not to leave.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-10T23:54:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767_hu_96d2676832ad32b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767_hu_6eb748b5f22a6ed4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767_hu_5297958b6d858f9e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/953.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Residents of Saransk accused of \"spreading the faith\" were released from the pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Smolensk extends the detention of believers for another 2 months, until September 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190710","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearing. The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok extends the term of Dmitry Barmakin's detention for another 6 months, citing the severity of the \"crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\" The believer has been in jail for 343 days. The total period of detention after 6 months will reach 503 days.\nThe hearings are scheduled for August 30 and September 30, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190705","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninskiy District Court extends Savelyev's detention for another 2 months until 07.09.2019\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190703","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Primorsky Regional Court A. N. Gorbacheva upholds the choice of a preventive measure and the extension of Buglak's detention by 29 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190702","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 26, 2019, searches were conducted in Kaluga, Kaluga Region, on the basis of the assumption that the city's residents profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court arrested Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin for two months. One believer claimed that compromising material had been planted.\nOfficers of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Kaluga region searched two apartments of believers. Personal belongings, electronic devices, notes, various editions of the Bible, and scientific books on religious studies were seized from them. During the search, one of the believers, Roman Makhnev, noticed the planting of literature that did not belong to his family members, about which he entered a statement in the protocol. The searches continued until late at night.\nTwo days later, on June 28, the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region sentenced Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin to 2 months of detention.\nPlanting extremist literature on believers has become a common practice in recent years. Finding no evidence of the guilt of believers, law enforcement agencies stoop to outright fabrication of evidence. Meanwhile, public figures, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other Russian and international organizations are increasingly calling for an end to the persecution of innocent people just because of their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-30T17:41:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1_hu_87c5d9fbde9b8ed0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1_hu_de1a879ad76fa4f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1_hu_7713b4ab65b461a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/944.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","plant"],"title":"Believers Were Arrested in Kaluga with Planting Banned Literature","type":"news"},{"body":"The Kaluga District Court elects Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. The court stubbornly ignores the atrocities committed by the FSB and evades assessing the circumstances of the detention of believers. It becomes known that 53-year-old Eduard Petrushin became another defendant in the criminal case for his faith; No preventive measure was chosen against him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190628","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the term of Spirin's imprisonment for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190619","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court decides to detain Olga Silaeva until August 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190615","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva, 42, and Olga Silaeva, 31, were arrested during mass searches conducted in the Bryansk region on June 11, 2019, in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives. In total, in the city of Unecha, the city of Novozybkov, in the village. Klimovo and the village of Dobrik underwent 22 searches.\nIt is known that a criminal case has been initiated on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the searches, Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva stopped communicating. On June 14, 2019, it became known that they were in SIZO-2 in the Bryansk region (in Novozybkov, 9 Red Square Street).\nSearches were also carried out in families with young children, as well as in the home of an 83-year-old woman. As part of this criminal case, the 23rd search also took place at Olga Silaeva's relatives in Moscow.\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-14T20:48:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_a80eba6c9c4df8ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_47aec7c6d02f45f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_e8c0909b3e5d1bad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/934.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","sizo","elderly","minors"],"title":"2 women believers were arrested in the Bryansk region. 22 searches carried out","type":"news"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region chooses a measure of restraint for Tatyana Shamsheva in the form of detention for a period of 1 month and 24 days, that is, until August 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190613","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Partizansk City Court, composed of the presiding judge O. I. Balakhovskaya, extends the period of detention of Irina Buglak for 29 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190613","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 24, 2019, Markus Grübel, Federal Commissioner for Religious Freedom Worldwide, commented that the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence of Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen.\n\"I regret the court's decision to dismiss the Christensen appeal,\" said Markus Grübel, \"The situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is of concern to me. Freedom of religion and worldview is an important human right. Every state must respect it. Religious freedom is indivisible and valid for all religious communities.\"\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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.\" Nevertheless, Russian security forces in 40 regions continue to conduct night raids on the homes of believers and throw them into prisons.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2019-06-12T16:40:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758_hu_9479545d1cf453d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758_hu_624000f3ce7d623c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758_hu_1d8c9ca91a4177fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/931.html","regions":["oryol","germany"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international","appeal","sizo"],"title":"The Federal Commissioner for Religious Freedom around the World is concerned about the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 5, 2019, in Ussuriysk (Primorsky Territory), a local resident Sergey Melnikov, born in 1973, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. This is at least the 7th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory.\nAccording to preliminary information, Sergey Melnikov was detained in his own car, after which a search was conducted in his house, a laptop and phones were seized. After that, the court chose a measure of restraint against him in the form of detention. It is reported that over the past year, three men, having met Sergey, took him to talk about faith. Sergey was detained during a conversation with one of them.\nSergey Melnikov can receive letters of support. He is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Primorsky Territory at the address: 63 Engels Street, Ussuriysk, 692525.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-06-10T17:19:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/920.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Ussuriysk, a believer was sent to jail for 2 months","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Dmitry Borisov ordered the extension of Klimov's detention for 6 months, until November 28, 2019, rejecting the defense's request to change the measure of restraint, and scheduled a preliminary hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190610","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Melnikov is detained in his own car during a conversation with a man whom he met over the past year and who, together with his two friends, took him out to talk about faith. After the arrest, Sergey's house is searched, his laptop and phones are seized. The court chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention. He was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Ussuriysk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20190605","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"June 3, 2019 marks exactly one year since the raid on the basis of religious repression was carried out in Tomsk . Local Jehovah's Witnesses, including an 83-year-old woman, were taken out of their homes and loaded onto a bus to be taken for interrogation. The court sent the detained Sergey Klimov to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region. On May 28, 2019, the court once again extended his detention.\nThe past year has been filled with anxieties and sorrows for many Tomsk believers, especially for Yulia Klimova, Sergey's wife. The couple celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on April 7, 2019 on opposite sides of the prison wall. Immediately after her husband's arrest, Yulia Klimova, together with other wives of citizens arrested for their faith, sent an open collective letter to all members of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. The letter began with the words: \"An open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our dear people ... thrown behind bars on suspicion that they read the commandments of the Bible with us, with our children and friends, and prayed to God.\" In turn, the Human Rights Council sent an appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to verify the legality of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Unfortunately, the Prosecutor General's Office did not stop the repression.\nLong before the initiation of a criminal case, the judge of the Tomsk Regional Court, Andrei Goncharov, allowed the Center \"E\" to carry out operational-search measures against Sergei Klimov: wiretapping of telephone conversations and removal of information from technical communication channels. In addition, the security forces sent an informant to the believers - a man who, pretending to be interested in the Bible, provoked believers into discussions about God.\nLaw 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 European Union External Action Service, 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.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-06-04T10:56:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_a249eab4e86729b6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_a084302b403ee953.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_51def0294dcf5886.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_c7fb221343b7587e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/901.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"A 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness has been awaiting trial in Tomsk for 12 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2019, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent 40-year-old Arsen Abdullaev, 38-year-old Maria Karpova, 34-year-old Anton Dergalev and 27-year-old Marat Abdulgalimov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Two days earlier, on June 1, 2019, in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, and Derbent, masked and bulletproof FSB officers armed with assault rifles invaded approximately 10 homes of law-abiding local residents accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring the intrusion into the Abdullaevs' apartment, the security forces knocked the head of the family to the floor face down, and blocked his wife and son in the room. They announced a search warrant and immediately \"found\" 2 religious brochures in the corridor, which were planted by someone from the seizure group. After that, without being given the opportunity to eat, Arsen and his wife, Suat, were taken for interrogation to the \"E\" center, and later to the republican FSB, where they were interrogated until the evening. The operation was led by an FSB investigator known as Ivan Yemelyanov.\nDuring the interrogation, the spouses were orally told that they were both suspected under the article \"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization\", Arsen as an \"organizer\", and Suat as a \"participant\". The investigator offered Arsen to plead guilty, but when he said that he had nothing to confess to, the investigator said: \"Then there will be consequences.\" After that, Arsen was detained.\nDagestan became the 39th region of Russia, where the same type of criminal cases have been opened against Jehovah's Witnesses. 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 European Union External Action Service, 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.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-03T15:32:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_fc94768baaa44e95.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_21547093e5780931.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_cb711479156726e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_2395b217dfd3d655.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/888.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","siloviks-violence","plant"],"title":"In Dagestan, a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses. Three men and one woman were arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court I. Belykh makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 07/31/2019. Valery Moskalenko will be in custody for almost a year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190528","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB initiates criminal proceedings for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, several local residents \"organized religious gatherings, the so-called 'meetings,' during which they conducted a study of printed materials of the banned organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' with the participation of residents of the Republic of Dagestan.\" Arsen Abdullaev, Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev and Marat Abdulgalimov become innocent victims of law enforcement officers. The Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent them to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190527","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the decision of Victoria Mamelko, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, all three believers were sent to SIZO-1 in the Rostov Region for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190526","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 18, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, Lyudmila Kuzub, decided to detain two women for a period of 2 months: Tatyana Galkevich and 63-year-old Valentina Vladimirova. Prior to that, both were searched.\nAlthough Valentina Vladimirova was detained under the pretext of stealing from the prosecutor's house, during the interrogation the investigator immediately began to ask prepared questions about her religion. A case was opened against the women under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). Then her house was searched, interrogated, and electronic devices were seized.\nSmolensk law enforcement officers, following their colleagues in other Russian cities, claim that peaceful believers are engaged in \"organizing extremist activities,\" while they only privately read the Bible and prayed. The Russian government confirmed that the decisions of the Russian courts \"do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice individually the above teachings [of Jehovah's Witnesses].\"\nVladimirova and Galkevich became the seventh and eighth defendants in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Smolensk. At the end of April 2019, four believers were sent to the pre-trial detention center, and before that, Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina spent 191 days behind bars.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-22T15:57:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/867.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"In Smolensk, two more women were sent to a pre-trial detention center for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2019, the judge of the Central District Court of Volgograd, Andrey Oleynikov, decided to send four civilians who were detained during a raid on believers on May 16, 2019, to a pre-trial detention center for two months. Valery Rogozin, Sergei Melnik, Igor Egozaryan and Vyacheslav Osipov were sent to prison only because the authorities consider them Jehovah's Witnesses. All four are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in extremist activities.\nIvan Valkovsky, whose detention was reported earlier, was released on the same day. Information about the detention of D. Peresunko and V. Tarasov (81 years old) was subsequently not confirmed. Surveillance, summons and interrogations of believers in the city continue.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-21T17:47:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/861.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"In Volgograd, Four Believers Were Detained for 2 Months","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 20, 2019, the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov, chaired by Judge Igor Dyuzhakov, released from custody in the courtroom Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev, who had been in jail since June 12, 2018. They are still charged under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity), but the measure of restraint for them has been changed to a ban on certain actions. They must wear bracelets and cannot leave the house at night, communicate with other defendants in the criminal case, use the telephone and the Internet.\nBelievers are grateful to the court, which finally realized that there is no reason to keep civilians behind bars just for their religion. In December 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians and the reasons for their persecution are unclear.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-21T17:33:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_7e5697ef7d78f726.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_377e583aef420a4f.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_e952c6ebe3fad2f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_b9a47dbf21550e46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/860.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"Almost a year of believers behind bars has ended in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"The judge of the Novosibirsk Regional Court rejects the appeals and supports the extension of Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190521","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, Lyudmila Kuzub, makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure in the form of imprisonment of Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova in custody for a period of 2 months, until July 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190518","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova are placed in a pre-trial detention center by a court decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190516","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo Elena Lapina orders to extend the period of detention of Britvin and Levchuk for 2 months, i.e. until July 19, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190514","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 1, 2019, a court in Smolensk sent 30-year-old Yevgeniy Deshko, who is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, to prison for 2 months. The man was arrested on April 29, 2019 in Dagomys (Krasnodar region) and taken to Smolensk.\nAccording to preliminary information, Yevgeny Deshko came to the attention of Smolensk law enforcement officers in the context of the criminal prosecution of Valery Shalev and other followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Smolensk, against whom the Investigative Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Smolensk Region opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case became known on April 25, 2019, when searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Smolensk. The next day, the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk sent Ruslan Korolev, Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov to jail.\nThis is the second such criminal case in the Smolensk region. On October 7, 2018, officers of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region conducted a series of searches, during which in Sychevka (Smolensk Region) 2 women, Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina, were arrested. They spent more than six months behind bars, after which they were transferred to house arrest.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for 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 European Union External Action Service, 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.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-05-02T16:57:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938_hu_b1b09ffc05734fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938_hu_dfaf7658a4675457.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938_hu_dae34042d32b0013.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/813.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Fourth believer arrested in Smolensk","type":"news"},{"body":"A court in Smolensk sends Yevgeniy Deshko, who is suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, to prison for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190501","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 26, 2019, the Leninskiy District Court of Smolensk sent three local believers to jail - 36-year-old Ruslan Korolev, 41-year-old Valery Shalev and 60-year-old Viktor Malkov. On the eve of Smolensk, mass searches were once again carried out in the homes of citizens whom local law enforcement officers suspect of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region.\nIn total, on April 25, 2019, about three searches took place in Smolensk. For example, Valery Shalev was detained by law enforcement officers near his place of work. He was taken home, where a search was conducted for 2 hours. After the search, he was placed in the temporary detention center of the Department of Internal Affairs in the Smolensk district.\nThis is at least the second such criminal case. The first became known on October 7, 2018, when the FSB, together with the Center for Counteracting Extremism and SOBR, conducted searches in the homes of believers and arrested two women , Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina, who had been behind bars for more than six months. Now that the women have been placed under house arrest, a new case has been opened and three more people have been sent to pre-trial detention.\nIt is noteworthy that on December 18, 2016 in Smolensk , about 15 armed riot policemen, investigators and police officers entered the building for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses on Pushkin Street when a service was held there with the participation of about 60 believers. Law enforcement officers purposefully entered the toilet and pretended to find a brochure included in the list of extremist materials. By that time, evidence had already accumulated that law enforcement officers and persons cooperating with them systematically planted prohibited items on believers.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for 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.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-30T17:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_1668646e2e3ce90b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_661548179a144ab1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_b045c3de74384065.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/800.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly","ivs"],"title":"In Smolensk, three men were sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Thor K.G. extends Savelyeva's detention for another 2 months until 07.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190430","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on April 11, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190429","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Dagomys (Krasnodar Territory), 30-year-old Smolensk resident Yevgeny Deshko, the fourth suspect in this criminal case, was detained and taken to Smolensk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190429","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 24, 2019, Inga Gavritskaya, a judge of the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, decided to detain Anton Ostapenko, a 28-year-old power plant driver, for a period of two months. He was detained during mass searches in the homes of believers that took place throughout the city on April 19. According to the investigation, the believer is \"the organizer of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe case was opened on April 19, 2019 by Y. Fedynyak, a senior investigator of the investigation department for the Sharypovsky district of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The charges are based on transcripts of conversations about the Bible made on a hidden video camera in the house of one of the believers.\nConsidering the investigator's petition for Ostapenko's detention, the judge ignored the lawyer's arguments that no instruments or traces of the crime were found during the search in his apartment. The court's decision was not affected by the fact that the accused is characterized positively by everyone who knows him, has never been prosecuted and is caring for his disabled mother.\nSearches on April 19, 2019 in Sharypov took place in a total of 10 houses of believers. A similar scheme was used: groups of FSB and Investigative Committee officers blocked peaceful, unarmed people in their homes, took away all their electronic devices and Bibles (including in the Synodal translation), forbade them to talk to each other, and interrogated them. Some were detained and taken to the investigation department. Believers reported that they experienced great stress, some had complicated illnesses.\nLaw enforcement officers in Sharypov, following their colleagues from other cities of Russia, came to the wrong conclusion that the usual religious activities of citizens (reading the Bible, praying) are \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" International organizations, the Human Rights Council and even the President of Russia have repeatedly drawn attention to this vicious practice and its sad consequences.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-26T19:29:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893_hu_dc57a86423a53d8a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893_hu_e2b6fffb28c4e239.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893_hu_421138bc57b994ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/794.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"In Sharypov, a believer was imprisoned for 2 months for talking on spiritual topics","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninskiy District Court of Smolensk is imprisoning three local believers, Ruslan Korolev, 36, Valery Shalev, 41, and Viktor Malkov, 60.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190426","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Klimov in custody until May 28. The preliminary investigation has been completed, Klimov is beginning to be acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. In the near future, the case is expected to be sent to court for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190426","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the end of the investigation, the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok extends the period of detention of Dmitry Barmakin for another 1 month. The believer has been in custody for 9 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190426","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 20, 2019, Irina Buglak, who was detained on April 19 during searches in the homes of believers in Partizansk (Primorye Territory), was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of extremism. The court considered talking about biblical topics at home \"a serious crime against the foundations of the constitutional order.\"\nThe first search in the homes of partisans suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses began on April 19 after 8 p.m. in the apartment of 80-year-old Nelly Tarasyuk. At this time, the landlady was visiting several women. Security officials from the FSB and the Investigative Committee rang the doorbell and introduced themselves as medical workers. Those present opened, after which 8 law enforcement officers entered the apartment and began to search the house, filming what was happening on video. During the search, Nelly Tarasyuk became ill, it was necessary to call an ambulance.\nAt night, those who were in the apartment, except for the hostess, were taken to the investigation department. The detainees were released in turn from 4 to 7 a.m. Everyone was released except 44-year-old Irina Buglak.\nAt three o'clock in the morning, the security forces took Irina Buglak to her place of residence to conduct another search there. According to eyewitnesses of the events, during the interrogations, the operatives admitted that the operation had been prepared since 2018, they were spying on the woman on social networks and tapping the phone. Irina's left arm was lost from the stress of the searches. Nevertheless, she was taken to the local temporary detention center.\nOn April 20, 2019, the judge of the Partizansky City Court, Maria Sundyukova, decided to arrest Irina Buglak for 2 months - until June 20, 2019. At the same time, the court ignored the fact that Irina's detention was carried out with violations - she was not provided with a lawyer in a timely manner and her rights were not explained.\nBochkarev, an investigator of the Investigative Department for Partizansk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, who petitioned for Irina's arrest, accuses her of continuing the activities of the local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Partizansk\". The investigator believes that this organization was banned by a court decision, but in fact this LRO ceased to exist in 2015 and was never banned by the court.\nAccording to investigators, Irina met with fellow believers to communicate on spiritual topics. As stated in the court order on her arrest, \"the person was caught after committing a crime, obvious traces of a crime were found in his home.\" The investigator considers prayers and discussions of the Bible to be a \"serious crime committed against the foundations of the constitutional order.\" This is not prohibited either by the Russian Constitution or by the decision of the Supreme Court, which, according to the Russian government, concerns only the legal bodies of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not the religion of citizens.\nAn appeal has already been filed against the decision of Judge Maria Sundyukova with the Primorsky Regional Court. In addition, an appeal is being prepared on the fact of the illegal arrest of a peace-loving woman to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Primorsky Territory, Yuri Melnikov, as well as to the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-24T19:25:40+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/788.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","health-risk"],"title":"A resident of Primorsky Krai was sent to a pre-trial detention center for her faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of April 19, 2019, in Novosibirsk, Partizansk (Primorsky Territory), Sharypov and Minusinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), groups of law enforcement officers came with searches to the apartments of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 5 people were detained, two of them remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nIn Novosibirsk, FSB officers invaded 6 houses at the same time. It turned out that in the morning a new criminal case was opened in the city (not related to the Savelyev case). 64-year-old Aleksandr Seredkin, 44-year-old Valery Maletskov, as well as local resident Marina Chaplykina were detained. On April 21, the court refused to detain them, the men were placed under house arrest, and the investigator took a written undertaking not to leave the woman.\nIn Partizansk, from 20:30, a search was conducted for 5 hours in the house of an 80-year-old woman (during the search she needed emergency medical assistance). 8 representatives of the FSB and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation came to her house. After the search, the women in the house were interrogated until the morning. An investigation team consisting of at least 4 investigators has been established. 44-year-old Irina Buglak was detained.\nIn Sharypov, religious literature was searched in at least 8 houses of local residents. Bibles (the Synodal Edition, as well as the Translation of Archimandrite Macarius), greeting cards, notebooks were seized. An investigation team consisting of more than 10 investigators has been established. 28-year-old Anton Ostapenko was detained.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-22T20:32:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_922e7f546d9d1595.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_85635877cd473b59.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_d8a309bae1630cb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_a84be51c3e3a10a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/777.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","elderly"],"title":"On the evening of April 19, incursions against believers took place in 3 regions of Russia, 5 people were detained","type":"news"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court releases Valery Maletskov and Alexander Seredkin under house arrest, but Yuriy Savelyev remains in the pre-trial detention center. Chaplykina signed a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190421","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Partizansk City Court of Primorsky Krai, chaired by Judge M. Y. Sundyukova, chooses a measure of restraint for Irina Buglak in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190420","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers detain Ostapenko and place him in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2019-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20190420","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By April 15, 2019, Yuriy Savelyev, who had been languishing in jail for his faith for almost six months, had received 715 letters with words of support and small gifts. Australia, Austria, Belarus, Great Britain, Poland, Russia, USA, Ukraine, France are just some of the countries whose residents decided to support the 64-year-old believer from Novosibirsk. Fellow believers and simply caring people write him words of support and encouragement, and some even send small parcels, putting a chocolate bar or a postcard in them.\nThe neighbors in the cell are surprised by so many letters and do not stop asking Yuri questions. Especially surprising for them is that the letters come from people he does not know. People who visited Yuriy in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Novosibirsk region report that the flow of letters was a great encouragement for him and an occasion for interesting conversations. According to him, he is respected by his cellmates for his beliefs and dignified behavior, and they even protected him from unfair treatment.\nThis situation is also typical for other Russian Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars. They also reported a never-ending stream of letters. Despite the increasing number of criminal cases, the number of believers in pre-trial detention centers has recently been decreasing. At the moment it is 20 people.\n","category":"prison","date":"2019-04-18T17:02:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_107495d86a642a51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_46541c0da654b53b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_9c5a3c19e5f49892.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/776.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"title":"Believers in pre-trial detention centers receive hundreds of letters of support from all over the world","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk transferred Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina to house arrest. Women from the small town of Sychevka (Smolensk region) were released in the courtroom after spending more than six months behind bars.\nOn October 7, 2018, innocent law-abiding women, a nurse and a tour guide, were arrested by FSB officers for 48 hours. Later, on 9 October, 19 November and 19 February, the court extended their detention.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for 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 European Union External Action Service, 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.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-15T16:33:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1_hu_ac8ba1789033b971.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1_hu_366d3f70f6a58252.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1_hu_7646824358a259de.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/757.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Smolensk, after 191 days of imprisonment, 2 women believers are released from prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 11, 2019, the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov extended the detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev and Aleksey Budenchuk until June 12. Despite the unfair criminal prosecution, the believers remain positive.\nTo support the believers, their many friends came to court.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-12T16:31:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_fba9580de529354d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_97627440c8576201.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_cf5748df9610abe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_734edceddcedcad2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/751.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Saratov, the court extended the detention of three believers to 12 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 11, 2019, at 00:01, Sergey Loginov and Yevgeny Fedin, who had been behind bars since February 15, were released from custody. Two days earlier, the Surgut City Court refused to extend the investigators' detention.\nSergey Loginov, 57, is one of 7 Surgut residents who reported torture in the building of the Investigative Committee. On the fact of the incident, complaint No. 10618/19 \"Loginov and others v. Russia\" was filed with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR continues to consider this complaint.\nUpdate. The Surgut City Court imposed a ban on both believers to leave their homes at night, communicate with other defendants in the case, use mail, telephone and the Internet. This ban came into force after their release from the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-12T11:30:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0_hu_3bc6f4d778dccff8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0_hu_993ee1c30ce119f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0_hu_afa4eaaf97eb7aa8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/749.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","complaints","echr"],"title":"In Surgut, a court released both Jehovah's Witnesses who remained in jail","type":"news"},{"body":"Appeals have been filed against the decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190412","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint for Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev in the form of detention for 2 months, and in total up to 12 months, that is, until June 12, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190411","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Loginov and Yevgeniy Fedin, who have been behind bars since February 15, 2019, are released from custody. Immediately after leaving the pre-trial detention center, the Surgut City Court imposed on both believers a ban on leaving the house at night, communicating with other defendants in the case, using mail, telephone and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190411","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extended the detention of Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov until June 7, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190405","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extended the detention of Aleksandr Akopov. This time until June 7, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190403","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 28, 2019, the Pervomaiskiy District Court of Kirov refused to extend the investigator's detention of Yevgeny Suvorkov. He was placed under house arrest. Thus, out of 5 believers arrested in Kirov on October 9, 2018 for \"singing biblical songs together... study of religious literature, the so-called Holy Scripture (Bible)\", only 50-year-old Andrzej Oniszczuk, a citizen of the Republic of Poland living in Russia, has remained behind bars for 176 days.\nVladimir Korobeynikov was the first to be placed under house arrest after 73 days in pre-trial detention. This happened on December 20, 2018. On February 2, 2019, the court placed Andrey Suvorkov and Maksim Khalturin under house arrest. Both spent 117 days behind bars.\nReligious persecution in Kirov continues. On March 26, 2019, at least 10 new searches of believers' homes took place in the city. A criminal case has been initiated against 3 people, which is being investigated by G. Malykh, an investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Kirov region. He also opened a case against Andrzej Oniszczuk and others in October 2018.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-02T19:36:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_367d81280702dbe9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_5298d53910b706a9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_3bade8af84b6475c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_4dab35bae8321c83.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/714.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","families"],"title":"Everyone in Kirov left the pre-trial detention center except Andrzej Oniszczuk ","type":"news"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Ivan Belykh, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 05/31/2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190328","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 19, 2019, the court ruled to send two believers from the village of Luchegorsk, Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, who were detained during searches on March 17, 2019 and taken to Dalnerechensk, to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nAccording to preliminary information, they should be held in the pre-trial detention center of Spassk-Dalny. As of March 21, 2019, 25 people are being held in various prisons for their faith, whom law enforcement officers consider to be followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Another 27 people are under house arrest.\nMeanwhile, a wave of criminal prosecutions for faith has moved along the Chinese border to the Amur region. On March 21, 2019, at least 5 searches were conducted in Zeya, and a criminal case was initiated.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-22T15:05:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_765855e7508e113a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_5244a58cfc2591f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_cc52c705e3b36c65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/682.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye Territory, the court sent 2 believers to prison","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Novosibirsk Regional Court I.V. Pavlova rejects the appeals and supports the extension of Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190322","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On 20 March 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) lifted the urgent interim measures imposed in the event of a threat to the applicant's life. However, the cessation of such a threat, which makes it possible to remove interim measures, does not mean that the ECHR recognized the failure to prove the torture committed on February 15, 2019. The ECHR continues to consider the complaint of Sergey Loginov and other believers from Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area) about the torture inflicted on them.\nOn March 18, 2019, the Russian Government, in its response to the ECHR, referring to the medical examinations carried out, indicated the absence of diseases preventing the detention of Sergey Loginov. However, an independent medical examination for torture (examination of the skin by experts in the field of forensic medical examination, psychological research) has not yet been carried out in relation to the believer.\nThe believer's lawyer requested an independent examination with the involvement of dermatologists and psychologists, as well as other highly specialized experts specializing in skin burns, in order to identify traces of the use of stun guns and the psychological consequences of torture. In response to this petition, the believer, who was beaten with a stun gun through a wet cloth to reduce the appearance of burns on his body, was externally examined by a paramedic of the pre-trial detention center through the prison bars! Later, a consultation with a psychiatrist was organized in the pre-trial detention center for the presence of mental illness in Loginov. Meanwhile, the defense did not doubt that he did not have mental illness, but asked to identify the psychological trauma caused by the use of torture. Russia has not done this.\nOn March 5, 2019, 18 days after the torture, when the traces of burns caused by the stun gun became indistinguishable, Loginov was examined at the Nizhnevartovsk District Clinical Hospital for the presence of diseases that prevent his detention. At the same time, specialists in the field of studying the skin and a psychologist were still not involved in the examination.\nThus, the Russian authorities replaced the requirement to examine Loginov for torture with a medical report on his general state of health. Believers continue to seek an investigation into what happened.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-03-21T21:38:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0_hu_2bb747ab688e3ccc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0_hu_696303f32266b608.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0_hu_5d9f730ee10adda9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/681.html","regions":["france","khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","torture","health-risk","sizo"],"title":"The ECHR lifted the interim measures, but continues to consider the complaint of Surgut residents about torture","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Ivanova makes a decision to extend the fourth term of detention of Britvin and Levchuk for 2 months, i.e. until 19.05.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190312","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 7, 2019, the Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra overturned the decision of the Surgut City Court (first instance) to detain 50-year-old Artur Severinchik. He spent 21 days behind bars. However, it was refused to mitigate the measure of restraint for 42-year-old Yevgeniy Fedin and 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, they still remain in jail.\nEarly in the morning of February 15, 2019, in Surgut, Lyantor and other settlements of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, mass searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured in the buildings of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation in an extremist organization\" was initiated against 20 local residents, including women. On February 16, 2019, believers in Surgut contacted the hotline of the TFR on the fact of torture. On February 17, 2019, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for three of them.\nOn February 26, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered the Russian government to urgently send for a medical examination 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, one of 7 Surgut residents who reported torture in the building of the Investigative Committee. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself 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.\"\nUpdate: Despite the decision of the Court of Appeal, due to the slowness of the document flow, Artur Severinchik remained in the pre-trial detention center until March 15, 2019. He spent 29 days behind bars.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-07T21:36:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_a18ee8820d669744.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_e9b6b28c61c8c2c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_51431205acb80b2f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_593b86c63316c215.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/654.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","complaints"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Released One of the Three Believers in Surgut from the Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra cancels the decision of the Surgut City Court (first instance) to detain Artur Severinchik, who spent 21 days behind bars.\nThe court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra refuses to mitigate the measure of restraint for Yevgeny Fedin and Sergey Loginov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190307","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Lukash E.V. extends the detention of Savelyev for another 2 months until 07.05.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190304","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, Svetlana Chebukina, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk, sent 53-year-old Sergey Mysin to jail. The man is accused of \"organizing an extremist organization\" in connection with his religion. His wife Nataliya, as well as 46-year-old Andriy Tabakov, 33-year-old Khoren Khachikyan and 58-year-old Mikhail Zelensky were placed under house arrest.\nThe case against residents of Ulyanovsk, who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was initiated by the local FSB. The believers are accused of \"promoting the popularization of the ideas of Jehovah's Witnesses, promoting the superiority of these ideas over other religious teachings, finding venues for meetings of members of this organization, and directly participating in the events held.\" On February 27, searches were conducted in the apartments.\nSergey Mysin, according to the court order, will be held in SIZO-1 in the Ulyanovsk region until April 23, 2019 inclusive. The man is accused of \"organizing an extremist organization\" in connection with his religion.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for 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 European Union External Action Service, 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.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-01T20:22:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/650.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","search"],"title":"In Ulyanovsk, one believer was sent to prison, four were placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"The court rejected the arguments of the appeal against the measure of restraint to Konstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov and left them in custody until April 7, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190301","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 14:00, court hearings begin as a measure of restraint. Friends and relatives of the defendants greet them with applause. Despite the many illnesses of Mysin Sergey, Svetlana Chebukina, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk leaves him in custody for 2 months - until 04/23/2019.\nThe rest of the defendants, Mysina Natalia, Tabakov Andrey, Khachikyan Khoren and Zelensky Mikhail, are chosen a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Lawyers prepare appeals.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190228","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 26, 2019, the Khanty-Mansiysk District Court (court of first instance) rejected the request of the Investigative Committee of Russia to detain 38-year-old Andrey Sazonov and ordered his immediate release. Earlier, on February 8, the court sent him to 55 days in custody, but later the court of appeal reduced the period of his detention and returned his case for a new trial. The decision on house arrest was made by the new composition of the court.\nIt is noteworthy that Andrey Sazonov will be under house arrest at his home in the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), and not in Khanty-Mansiysk, where the investigative body is located. The distance between the cities is more than 400 kilometers.\nAndrew arrived home the same day at 2 a.m. The next morning, a bracelet was put on his leg.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-27T19:53:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0_hu_616cceef17c4e75c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0_hu_1142d5f6876380fa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0_hu_3bc78bf85ce49750.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/637.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","ankle-tag"],"title":"A believer from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 25, 2019, Andrey Babushkin, head of the standing commission on assistance to the Public Monitoring Commission, penitentiary system reform and crime prevention, as well as a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, demanded to stop the criminal activities of the security forces responsible for torturing Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Surgut. His appeal was addressed to the Prosecutor General, the head of the Investigative Committee, as well as the chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.\nIn his statement, the human rights activist described what happened to the detained believers in the dungeons of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. Andrei Babushkin demanded that a criminal case be opened against the security forces for abuse of office and organization of a criminal community (Articles 286.3 and 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and \"to choose a preventive measure against them that excludes their criminal activity.\"\nIn addition, Andrey Babushkin asked the PMC officers to visit Sergey Loginov in the pre-trial detention center and interview him about torture.\nEarly in the morning of February 15, 2019, in Surgut, Lyantor and other settlements of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, mass searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured in the buildings of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation of an extremist organization\" was initiated against 20 local residents, including women. On February 16, 2019, believers in Surgut contacted the hotline of the TFR on the fact of torture. On February 17, 2019, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for three of them.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-27T17:27:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_hu_d5e9011b84d6367d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_hu_80d94d8749bd8711.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_hu_c501025a7ef12e60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/636.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","presidential-council","human-right-organizations","sizo"],"title":"Demand to investigate allegations of torture in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 26, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered the Russian government to urgently send for a medical examination 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, one of 7 Surgut residents who reported torture in the building of the Investigative Committee. Sergey Loginov is the only one of these seven who is in custody.\nAccording to the order of the Strasbourg court, the Russian government must send Sergey Loginov for examination to a medical institution independent of the Investigative Committee and the penitentiary authorities by March 20, 2019, in order to examine his physical and psychological condition, as well as the harm allegedly caused to him by torture on February 15 and 16, 2019. Doctors must determine whether he needs treatment and whether his condition is compatible with his further stay behind bars. By March 11, 2019, opinions prepared by independent doctors must be submitted to the European Court.\nThe complaint \"Loginov and Others v. Russia\" was prepared and submitted to the European Court in a short time, it was assigned the number 10618/19.\nThree believers, Sergey Loginov, Yevgeny Fedin and Artur Severinchik, were sent to jail in connection with this case. They are in a pre-trial detention center in Nizhnevartovsk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area). There were no reports that Yevgeny Fedin and Artur Severinchik were tortured. Earlier in Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), mass searches and detentions of citizens suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses took place. At least 7 people reported that they were beaten and tortured during interrogations in the building of the Investigative Committee. In total, 20 local residents, including a woman, became defendants in this case. On February 16, 2019, the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia received an appeal with a request to take action in connection with reports of torture of Sergey Loginov.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization, referring to a court decision to liquidate and ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-27T15:28:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_82e791bf0fd8da90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_f16ebbeb9e25bc63.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_5b7f1ed8f664732f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_e58b44e875621a60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/627.html","regions":["khanty-mansi","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","torture","complaints","sizo","review"],"title":"ECHR imposed interim measures on a complaint of torture in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"The court decides that Klimov will remain in custody until April 28.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190226","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 20, 2019, an application was filed with the Office of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra to disqualify the investigation team due to sufficient grounds to believe that the head of the investigation department for the city of Surgut Ermolaev V.V., investigators Tkach S.V., Adiyatullin A.F., Gaisin S.S., Bogoderov S.A., Asmolov D.L. and other representatives of law enforcement agencies tortured detained Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAs previously reported, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to electric shocks, strangulation and beatings in the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia at 47 Ostrovsky Street in Surgut. By torture, believers were forced to answer the questions: \"Where do the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses take place? Who comes to the meetings? What are the names of the elders? What's the password on your phone?\"\nOn February 15 and 16, 2019, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured — electric shocks, strangulation.\nOn February 16, 2019, the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) received an appeal with a request to take measures to the investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Asmolov in connection with reports of torture taking place on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia on Ostrovsky Street, 47, in Surgut in between his interrogations. After the hotline received a message about the torture of 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, he was immediately released, but after that he was again detained and under torture forced to write an explanation that no one had tortured him. After that, he was not allowed to go home. It is not known what is now in the pre-trial detention center with him, as well as with two other arrested - 42-year-old Yevgeny Fedin and 52-year-old Artur Severinchik.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-20T17:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621_hu_eafea3695fa9e91d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621_hu_df959481e97e0a27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621_hu_91459caa315c51aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/626.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","complaints","sizo","torture-conditions"],"title":"Disqualification of the Investigation Team in Surgut in Connection with Allegations of Torture","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2019, the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) received an appeal with a request to take measures to the investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Leonidovich Asmolov in connection with reports of torture occurring on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia on Ostrovsky Street, 47, in Surgut in between his interrogations.\nOn February 15 and 16, 2019, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured — electric shocks, strangulation to the point of unconsciousness, and sophisticated beatings. After the torture, the investigators forced them to answer the questions: \"Where do the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses take place? Who comes to the meetings? What are the names of the elders? What's the password on your phone?\"\nAccording to believers, torture was used in between interrogations conducted by the following investigators: investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee for the city of Surgut of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Tkach Stepan Vladimirovich, investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Asmolov Dmitry Leonidovich, investigator Bogodelov Sergey Alekseevich. After the torture, the investigators helped the believers to come to their senses, offered water, paper handkerchiefs and gently reproached the believers for bringing themselves to \"trouble\" with their taciturnity.\nThose of the believers who were released recorded bodily injuries and appealed to the supervisory authorities, including the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, outlining the circumstances of the incident.\nAfter the hotline received a message about the torture of 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, he was immediately released, but after that he was again detained and under torture forced to write an explanation that no one had tortured him. After that, he was not allowed to go home. It is not known what is now in the pre-trial detention center with him, as well as with two other arrested - 42-year-old Yevgeny Fedin and 52-year-old Artur Severinchik.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-20T15:36:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_ff17023a73f28f8f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_b163a81166b9a189.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_6f52431d4b183f94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_b0fea021f92a5c0c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/624.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","torture","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Believers in Surgut appealed to the hotline of the TFR on the fact of torture","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2019, the Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra chose 42-year-old Yevgeny Fedin, 57-year-old Sergey Loginov and 50-year-old Artur Severinchik as a preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation of an extremist organization\" was initiated against 19 local residents, including women.\nOn February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the city. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers with electric shocks, strangulation and beatings, which took place on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia at 47 Ostrovsky Street in Surgut.\nSergey Loginov, 57, was tortured, among others. On Saturday, February 16, 2019, his friends contacted the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to take action against the investigator of the Surgut department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Leonidovich Asmolov in connection with incoming reports of torture. After contacting the hotline, Sergey Loginov was immediately released, but after that he was again detained and, under torture, forced to write an explanation that no one had tortured him. After that, he was not allowed to go home.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization, referring to a court decision to liquidate and ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-20T15:32:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_hu_e4cc14d2169bc51c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_hu_6e8eef7dc4a96af6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_hu_eb738af7a5a4a71f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/623.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","torture","complaints"],"title":"Three Believers Thrown Into Prison in Surgut After Torture","type":"news"},{"body":"At least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to electric shocks, strangulation to the point of unconsciousness, and sophisticated beatings. The torture was carried out on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia at 47 Ostrovsky Street in Surgut. By torture, believers were forced to answer the questions: \"Where do the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses take place? Who comes to the meetings? What are the names of the elders? What's the password on your phone?\"\nOn the morning of February 15, 2019, mass searches began in the homes of believers in Surgut, after which they were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee. During interrogation, they refused to incriminate themselves and their fellow believers. After the lawyer on duty left, they were tied with tape behind their backs and beaten, stripped naked, doused with water and used a stun gun. The torture continued for several hours.\nAt least three believers remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case was opened against 19 local residents for the so-called \"organization of an extremist organization.\"\nThose of the believers who were released recorded bodily injuries and appealed to the supervisory authorities, outlining the circumstances of the incident.\nBelievers will seek a thorough investigation of the sadistic treatment, the identification of the organizers and participants of the torture conveyor. Torture, cruel or degrading treatment is a criminal offence. The Russian Federation is a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture and Inhuman Treatment.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-19T23:27:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_346cc6b3f86ce8c6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_2e5c529cd97a2ade.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_d5d375bd9f22cb6d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_354c8aea0e6d5030.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/622.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","interrogation","sizo","complaints"],"title":"Torture of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"The Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra elects Yevgeny Fedin, Sergey Loginov and Artur Severinchik a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190217","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Atryakhin, Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgy Nikulin were remanded in custody. They are sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mordovia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190208","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Arkady Koba, judge of the Khanty-Mansiysk District Court, sends Andrey Sazonov to a pre-trial detention center for 55 days, until March 31, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190208","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"See the full infographic On February 6, 2019, Dennis Christensen was found guilty under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison to be served in a general regime colony. The decision did not come into force.\nThe verdict was handed down by Judge Alexei Rudnev, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel. Lawyers consider this verdict unjust and are preparing an appeal. Meanwhile, Dennis Christensen will be in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region, where he has already spent 622 days. Letters of support can be sent to him.\nYaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses commented on the verdict: \"The verdict is only very regrettable. A man who had not committed any crime was convicted. It is sad that in Russia it has again become a crime to read the Bible, keep its commandments and talk about one's faith with other people.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-02-06T12:35:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3_hu_40ee7c9191d517cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3_hu_4ce0c18443880e77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3_hu_ab603dc7ddfedb4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/593.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen found guilty, sentence to be appealed","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninskiy District Court extended the detention of Samsonov, Sultanov and Akopov. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190204","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 29, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court changed the decision of the court of first instance to detain 50-year-old Stanislav Kim. He will be placed under house arrest. Another believer, Valery Moskalenko, remains in the Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center.\nStanislav Kim spent at least 81 days in the pre-trial detention center. Thus, none of the accused in the case of Polevodov and others is in prison. This case is being investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia.\nThe accused in the second similar case in Khabarovsk, Valery Moskalenko, has been behind bars for six months. He is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, his case is being investigated by the FSB.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself 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.\"\nUpdated 2019-01-30: Stanislav Kim left the pre-trial detention center after 82 days in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-29T16:43:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067_hu_1c665d8a1fd8af92.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067_hu_a2f3bf09a69c2e50.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067_hu_5ad1842e103dc4f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/586.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, a third believer leaves the pre-trial detention center, another one remains","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 28, 2019, Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, sent 32-year-old Yevgeny Spirin to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months only for his faith in God. A. Dmitriev, investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Ivanovo region, and A. Tsitskeev, assistant prosecutor of the Oktyabrsky district of the city of Ivanovo, petitioned the court for his detention.\nIt is known that the case against Yevgeny Spirin was initiated on January 21, 2019 by the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region A. Dmitriev.\nOn January 27, 2019, Yevgeny Spirin, a resident of Furmanov (Ivanovo region), was detained by FSB officers. On this day, the FSB conducted searches in the city in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeniy Spirin was brought to the criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) as an accused. Investigators charge Yevgeniy Spirin with \"committing actions aimed at the resumption and continuation of the illegal activities of the said religious organization [\"structural unit of the religious organization\" Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia \"], namely, he convened and held meetings of this organization, carried out religious conversations with residents of the Ivanovo region in order to promote it.\nThis is the second criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region. The first case in Shuya was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Ivanovo Region against Dmitry Mikhailov, his wife Yelena and 3 other people under Articles 282.2 (2) and 282.3 (1). Dmitry Mikhailov spent 171 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region, then was released on his own recognizance.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself 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.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-29T16:41:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/585.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","282.2-1","search"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, a believer was sent to jail for 2 months ","type":"news"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim is the last to leave the pre-trial detention center, and now all the accused in the case are free with milder measures of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20190129","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the period of detention, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190129","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, sends Spirin to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190128","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Tatyana Toropenko, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 01.04.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190122","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Samulin of the Novosibirsk Regional Court rejects the appeal and supports the extension of Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190121","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Alexander Vyalov, makes a decision to extend the third term of detention of Britvin and Levchuk for 2 months, i.e. until 19.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190116","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court unexpectedly releases 54-year-old Vladimir Alushkin from the pre-trial detention center and transfers him to house arrest. The court leaves the same measure of restraint for Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin. Now all four believers accused of extremism are imprisoned in their own homes for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190114","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the fourth extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181229","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Tsygankova I.V. extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for another 2 months, that is, until 07.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181229","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, A. A. Ginter, makes a decision on the fourth extension of the period of detention for 2 months, and up to 8 months in total, that is, until 02.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181228","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next extension of detention is for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20181226","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on December 11, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181225","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov were transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Stavropol Territory. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181215","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 4, 2018, Sergey and Anastasiya Polyakov were placed under house arrest. They spent exactly five months in solitary confinement. By subjecting the spouses to such cruel treatment, law enforcement officers forced them, in fact, to incriminate themselves and other people. Neither the Polyakovs nor dozens of other prisoners for their faith throughout Russia make such a deal with the investigation.\nSince May 2017, a total of 62 people have been imprisoned on suspicion of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including 7 women! Currently, 26 citizens are still languishing in prisons, 2 of them are women. Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-12-14T18:08:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0_hu_68cd5b9f164575d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0_hu_3ed17778b33e9fd0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0_hu_312700eae401bb74.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/543.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","families"],"title":"In Omsk, the couple was placed under house arrest after 5 months in solitary confinement for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The court decided to keep Akopov in custody until February 6, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181213","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal was filed against the decision to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention to Aleksey Budenchuk\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181212","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Neftekumskiy District Court decided to arrest the detainees Samsonov and Sultanov for two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181211","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals have been filed against the decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov and Felix Makhammadiev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181211","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint for Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev in the form of detention for 4 months, and in total up to 10 months, that is, until April 12, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181210","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court Maxim Vergasov makes a decision to cancel the decision of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk to extend the period of detention by 2 months, i.e. until 01.02.2018 and to make a new decision to extend the period by 2 months, and in total up to 5 months 29 days, i.e. until 01.02.2018 (the measure of restraint is the same).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181203","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Aleksey Gorlach, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 01.02.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181123","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Zykin of the Novosibirsk Regional Court rejects the appeals and supports Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181121","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, O. S. Revyagina, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the period of detention, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181120","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 15, 2018, the Court of Appeal overturned the order for further detention of Dmitry Mikhailov, a 40-year-old resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region), who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He left pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region after spending almost six months in it.\nThe case of the Mikhailov spouses and others in Shuya was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, the Mikhailovs, together with unidentified persons, participated in worship services. The Investigative Committee mistakenly interprets this as participation in and financing of the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), while the Russian government officially states that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition on the individual practice of the above doctrine.\" \"There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights said in a statement .\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-11-16T16:41:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_7bb0d60fd9bbc441.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_ce983dddb58476af.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_f125094a89e54bd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_92ec76482237c51c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/516.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, a believer left the pre-trial detention center after 171 days in custody","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal reverses the decision on the further detention of Dmitry Mikhailov. He is leaving pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region after spending almost six months in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20181115","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 9, 2018, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan decided to transfer under house arrest three Chelny residents who remained in the Chistopol pre-trial detention center because of their religious beliefs. On November 13, 2018, Vladimir Myakushin and Aidar Yulmetyev left the pre-trial detention center after 170 days in it.\nEarlier, the same court placed a 4th prisoner, Ilham Karimov, under house arrest. He was released from the detention center 7 days after the decree came into force.\nThe case of Karimov and others in Naberezhnye Chelny was initiated under Parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution claims that these citizens worshipped Jehovah God, and interprets this not as their constitutional right to freedom of religion, but as \"organization\", \"participation\" and \"involvement in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nMeanwhile, the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights is sounding the alarm: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-11-14T17:18:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0_hu_4d9b0f700cb05c38.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0_hu_47e317bbf397c366.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0_hu_801a71917c6929b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/515.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"Tatarstan: three more transferred from pre-trial detention center to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"The Chairman of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Inna Mikhailenko, makes a decision to extend the second period of detention of Britvin and Levchuk in custody for 2 months, i.e. until 19.01.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20181114","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Azov District Court extends the detention of the spouses until 20.12.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20181114","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"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":"Vladimir Myakushin and Aidar Yulmetyev leave the pre-trial detention center, where they spent 170 days. Matrashov is released later - because of paperwork.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20181113","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 8, 2018, searches were conducted in Novosibirsk in at least 10 homes of civilians who were suspected of jointly practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 64-year-old Yuriy Prokopievich Savelyev was arrested. By order of Maria Shishkina, judge of the Central District Court of Novosibirsk, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until January 7, 2019.\nOperational activities were led by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Novosibirsk Region. According to eyewitnesses, during the invasion of one of the apartments, where guests gathered at that time, law enforcement officers pointed the muzzle of a machine gun at civilians. In total, at least 19 people, including a young girl, suffered morally from the actions of law enforcement officers. During the searches, personal belongings were seized from citizens.\nThe events in Novosibirsk were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, 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":"2018-11-12T22:30:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_3b889cc6cc5f80c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_935fc167bb6f77de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_8dadc7513e520684.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/513.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Novosibirsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim and Vitaliy Zhuk were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20181112","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator asks the court to extend the measure of restraint for four believers for another two months. Vladimir Alushkin remains in a pre-trial detention center, while three other believers are under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20181112","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Novosibirsk M.A. Shishkina makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Savelyev in the form of detention for 1 month 29 days, that is, until 07.01.2019. On the same day, Savelyev was placed in SIZO-1.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181110","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2018, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol held 11 court hearings in the case of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, who faces up to 10 years in prison (under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) solely on the grounds that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case is being heard by Judge Alexei Rudnev.\nOn October 8, 10, 15-17, 22-24, 2018, the court examined religious books in digital format found on the computer seized from Dennis Christensen. In the courtroom, excerpts from these books and pamphlets were read, namely the encouragement to maintain peaceful relations with people, to strengthen family ties, especially if the life partner has a different religion.\nThe prosecution paid attention to the passages explaining who the elders of the Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses are, what their pastoral care is, and what personal requirements they must meet. In particular, the instructions listed in the New Testament that each of them \"should be impeccable, the husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sensible, collected, hospitable, able to teach, should not make drunken scandals, beat others, but be prudent, not belligerent, not love money, manage their household well ...\" The lawyers could only notice that the appearance of a man who was completely different from the criminal was looming. The prosecutor also drew attention to a quote from the New Testament Acts of the Apostles: \"We must obey God more than men.\" When Dennis Christensen was asked, \"Do you know of any cases in which Jehovah's Witnesses refused to obey the laws of the state by opting for God's laws?\" he replied that he knew of one such case—when German Jehovah's Witnesses went to concentration camps during World War II instead of the Eastern Front, refusing to kill Russian soldiers.\nThe lawyers also noted that none of the books or pamphlets found by the prosecution were recognized as \"extremist\".\nOn October 24, 2018, the court once again extended Christensen's detention for 3 months - until February 1, 2019. The next day, a complaint was filed against this decision.\nOn October 29, 2018, the court examined electronic files from tablets seized from other believers. The very fact that citizens used books in electronic form, the prosecution interprets as a measure of conspiracy. Lawyers consider this interpretation far-fetched.\nDescribing the seized files, the investigator unreasonably attributed them as belonging to the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses Orel. When the lawyers drew attention to this, the judge asked the prosecutor if there was any information about the LRO in the files. The prosecutor was forced to answer that he did not. Christensen also clarified that he had nothing to do with these files.\nReviewing the next evidence of Christensen's guilt, invested in the case by investigators, the lawyers drew the court's attention to photographs where Christensen and his wife were filmed in a supermarket next to a man in a fairy-tale character costume. The lawyers asked what these and many other similar \"evidence\" prove. They do not prove anything and are invested in the case only for volume, which reflects the essence of this criminal case, based on nothing, the lawyers concluded.\nOn October 30, 2018, the court continued to examine the case materials. The prosecutor read out various bank statements dating back to 2016. While announcing them, the prosecutor repeated the phrase \"it does not matter for this criminal case\" several times, so the court asked: \"If the materials are not relevant to this case, then why are we wasting time here?\" The prosecutor refused to disclose the next protocol of 48 points.\nTrying to prove Christensen's guilt, the prosecution also attached to the case file a certificate from the military commissariat about 9 conscripts who refused to serve in the army, citing their religious beliefs. The lawyers drew attention to the fact that the wording used by the prosecution \"refused to serve in the army\" is incorrect, since the state provides citizens with alternative service. When choosing an alternative, a citizen strictly follows the law. The lawyer then read out where each of the 9 young men had been sent for alternative service. Some served at the Russian Post, others in the gerontological center, caring for the elderly. The lawyer suggested thinking about the feelings of the elderly who were cared for by these people, and how they were grateful to them. Young believers, without a doubt, gave their civic duty to the state.\nOn October 31, 2018, the initiative in reviewing the case materials passed to the defense. The lawyers drew the court's attention to the fact that after the case was initiated against Christensen, the investigation did not arrest him for some time. This means that the investigator himself did not believe that Christensen could go into hiding. Consequently, his detention is unreasonable.\nIn addition, the lawyers identified defects in the examinations available in the case.\nFurther hearings in this case are scheduled in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel (Maxim Gorky St., 45-a) on November 6, 7, 12, 14, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-11-09T23:44:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/510.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","sizo","first-instance"],"title":"October 2018. Review of the hearings in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"Ilham Karimov is to be placed under house arrest after 160 days spent in a pre-trial detention center in Chistopol, Tatarstan. This was ordered on November 2, 2018 by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, canceling the decision of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court, which in October extended the believer's detention until December 25, 2018. Despite the fact that the ruling of a higher court was issued 6 days ago, Ilham Karimov has not yet left the pre-trial detention center due to the slowness of the document flow.\nThe case against Ilham Karimov, as well as Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov and Aidar Yulmetyev was initiated under Parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution claims that these citizens worshipped Jehovah God, and interprets this not as an exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of religion, but as \"organization\", \"participation\" and \"involvement in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nMeanwhile, the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights is sounding the alarm: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-11-08T17:21:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0_hu_11d842b8a26d1fa4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0_hu_a2d9a17fc807ab9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0_hu_1c0902adf5aec438.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/509.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"One of the 4 taken into custody in Naberezhnye Chelny will be transferred to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"An appeal against the third extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181104","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, M. M. Chernyakov, makes a decision on the third extension of the period of detention for 2 months and 1 day, and up to 6 months in total, that is, until 03.01.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181101","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 31, 2018, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan softened the measure of restraint for 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev from Dyurtyuli (Bashkiria). He was placed under house arrest after 14 days spent in pre-trial detention center No. 5 in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Having placed Anton Lemeshev under house arrest, the court banned him from correspondence and telephone conversations, as well as communication with people involved in his criminal case as witnesses or suspects.\nAnton Lemeshev was detained on October 18, 2018. On that day, at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case under Article 282.2 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated by the Dyurtyulinsky Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia on September 20, 2018. Investigator R. Farrakhov motivated his decision to initiate the case: \"An unidentified person ... reliably knowing that a religious organization ... recognized as extremist ... deliberately organized the activities of a local religious organization in the city of Dyurtyuli.\" It is not known how the investigator established that the \"unidentified person\" acted \"deliberately\" and that this person not only exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion, but \"organized the activities of a local religious organization.\"\nThis is not the first such case in Bashkiria. In April 2018, 32-year-old Anatoliy Vilitkevich was arrested. He spent 71 days in the Ufa pre-trial detention center, and was later transferred to house arrest. His arrest was also a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-10-31T17:54:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268_hu_6bf4a94fe978a20f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268_hu_2779808be82817fc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268_hu_555f4f6263359dc3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/505.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","supreme-court","sizo"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Bashkortostan transferred the believer to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"The court again leaves Klimov in custody for two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20181029","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a cassation appeal against the decision of the Frunzensky District Court of August 7, 2018 and the appeal decision of the Saratov Regional Court of August 23, 2018 on the extension of the preventive measure in the form of detention to Konstantin Bazhenov. Later, the cassation appeal was dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181024","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 18, 2018, in the city of Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan), at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev was arrested, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until November 20, 2018.\nThe searches began early in the morning and lasted for 2-3 hours. All electronic devices, phones, computers, SIM cards, money, bank cards, passports, postcards, photographs, personal letters were seized. 15 people, including a minor girl, were taken to the investigative committee for questioning. After interrogation, most were released.\nIt is not yet known what exactly Anton Lemeshev and other citizens are suspected of.\nEarlier, on April 10, 2018, after mass searches in the capital of Bashkortostan, 32-year-old Anatoly Vilitkevich was arrested. He is charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization) due to the fact that he allegedly professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. After 2 days, he was sent to Ufa pre-trial detention center No. 1, where he spent 71 days. He is currently under house arrest. His arrest was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, 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":"2018-10-19T17:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928_hu_17f57f64d6549234.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928_hu_d582e8f1ef3e37e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928_hu_214900fb67151a47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/494.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","minors"],"title":"In Bashkiria, a new criminal case for faith and arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"In Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan), at least 11 searches are carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev was arrested, he is sent to the pre-trial detention center until November 20, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","date":"2018-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html#20181018","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, Lyudmila Kuzub, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, sent Maria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina, who live in Sychevka (Smolensk region), to prison. Women are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the judge's decision, women must stay in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center at least until November 19, 2018.\nMaria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina were detained during mass searches conducted on October 7, 2018 by officers of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region. A criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist community). The special services, in fact, deny Smolensk residents the constitutional right to freedom of religion, charging ordinary citizens who have been seen in worshiping Jehovah God with continuing the activities of a religious organization liquidated by the court. On that day, at least 17 citizens, including minors, suffered from the actions of the Smolensk special services. All of them experienced severe stress, were searched, personal belongings were seized.\nThere are now three women in prison in Russia on charges of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses: Maria Troshina, Nataliya Sorokina, and Anastasia Polyakova, who has been in Detention Center No. 1 in the Omsk Region for 104 days (at the time of publication) since her and her husband's arrest on July 4, 2018. Another 4 women spent from 2 to 4 days in temporary detention centers, but later their preventive measure was mitigated. Currently, 14 women believers are under recognizance not to leave or under a ban on certain actions.\nMaria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina are being held in Detention Center No. 1 in the Smolensk Region.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-10-15T22:01:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110_hu_44c855f621c37b18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110_hu_af9eabce823a03cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110_hu_6c88470f4660755f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/493.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","282.2-2","search"],"title":"Smolensk: 2 more women sent to prison for their faith ","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer files a cassation appeal against the decision of the Frunzensky District Court of August 7, 2018 and the appeal decision of the Saratov Regional Court of August 23, 2018 on the extension of the preventive measure in the form of detention of Alexey Budenchuk. Later, the cassation appeal was dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181015","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By court decision, Onischuk, Korobeynikov and Yevgeny Suvorkov are also sent to the pre-trial detention center. Yuriy Geraskov and Vladimir Vasilyev are in the status of defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181012","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to detain Korobeynikov and two of his co-religionists. A day earlier, two more were sent to the pre-trial detention center, the rest remain at large.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20181012","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 10, 2018, the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region decided to soften the preventive measure for 61-year-old Viktor Trofimov and 44-year-old Roman Markin and transferred them to house arrest. They were arrested on April 18, 2018 by officers of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region.\nBoth face up to 10 years in prison under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist community\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the Russian Supreme Court liquidated and declared \"extremist\" all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" A total of at least 43 people were sent to prison, most of them, 26 people, are still in pre-trial detention centers or temporary detention facilities, the rest of the measure of restraint has been mitigated.\nAt the same time, in the ECHR, the Russian Government argues that the decision of the Supreme Court and the appellate ruling by which it was upheld \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually\" (paragraph 91 of the comments of the Russian Federation on complaint No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\"). 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":"restriction","date":"2018-10-11T16:46:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032_hu_7fd19a952fd3e405.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032_hu_c998da7503a765a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032_hu_f55e9e5d6c14d869.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/488.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Murmansk, after 176 days in pre-trial detention, two believers were placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"The court decides to detain Andrey Suvorkov and Maksim Khalturin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181011","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Both women are officially charged, they are sent to the Smolensk pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2018-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20181009","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court, Valentina Nem, makes a decision to cancel the decision of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk dated 09/26/2018 and to make a new decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 12/01/2018 (the preventive measure is the same).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181008","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the initiation of the first criminal case in the region for faith. The FSB, together with the CPE and SOBR, conducts searches in the homes of believers . The court sends Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina to jail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2018-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20181007","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["new-case","search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, P. V. Kolegov, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision on the second extension, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181004","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the second extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180928","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk. Judge Prysyazhnyuk O.V. makes a decision on the second extension of the period of detention for 1 month, and in total up to 4 months, that is, until 02.11.2018 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180927","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Natalia Taranushchenko, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 01.12.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180926","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Also, Puida's detention and Petrov's house arrest are extended for 2 months (until 29.09.2018). At the same time, the latter increases the permissible walking time to 2 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180926","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Magadan City Court extends for 2 months Zyablov (until November 29, 2018) and Yerkin (until November 30, 2018) a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180925","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Omsk Regional Court leaves Sergey and Anastasia in custody until 20.11.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180925","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Irina Ivanova, makes a decision to extend the period of detention of Britvin and Levchuk in custody for another 2 months, i.e. until 19.11.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180917","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, S. N. Kostenko, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the period of detention, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180913","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Vladimir Alushkin in a pre-trial detention center, and Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov and Denis Timoshin under house arrest for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180911","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal for extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180831","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Ivanova I.A., makes a decision on the first extension of the period of detention of Andrey Stupnikov for 1 month, and in total up to 3 months, that is, until 02.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180828","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detention was extended for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180827","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiyev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on August 7, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180823","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 19, 2018, in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory), searches were conducted in at least 3 homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 41-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov, his wife Snezhana Bazhenova, and 71-year-old Vera Zolotova were sent to a temporary detention facility (IVS). On August 21, 2018, Ruslan Maslov, judge of the Yelizovsky District Court of the Kamchatka Territory, chose a measure of restraint for Konstantin Bazhenov in the form of 2-month detention until October 18, 2018; Snezhana Bazhenova and Vera Zolotova were released after being detained for 2 days.\nA total of 11 citizens were detained in Yelizovo, including Elizaveta, the Bazhenovs' minor daughter. After many hours of interrogation, most were released. It became known that a criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization).\nEarlier, on July 30, 2018, in the city of Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory), dozens of armed FSB officers conducted several searches in the homes of believers. Spouses Mikhail Popov and Elena Popova were detained. The court of first instance sent 56-year-old Mikhail Popov to a pre-trial detention center, and his wife, after 4 days in a temporary detention facility, under house arrest. Later, the Kamchatka Regional Court released the spouses.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Believers insist on their complete innocence. Currently, criminal prosecution for faith, accompanied by rough searches and arrests of law-abiding citizens, takes place in 7 of the 9 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District (excluding the Sakhalin Region and the Chukotka Autonomous Region), namely: in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the Amur, Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions, Primorsky (3), Khabarovsk and Kamchatka (2) territories.\nThe town of Yelizovo is located 30 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Konstantin Aleksandrovich Bazhenov, detained in Yelizovo, is the namesake of 43-year-old Konstantin Viktorovich Bazhenov, who was sent to the Saratov pre-trial detention center on similar grounds.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-22T14:34:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1_hu_452b2859e91a6b76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1_hu_f107157da6664010.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1_hu_34e9e3ddb05b2843.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/468.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","ivs","search","families"],"title":"In Kamchatka, another person was sent to a pre-trial detention center for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Snezhana Bazhenova and Vera Zolotova are released from the temporary detention facility. Konstantin Bazhenov's detention is extended until 18.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180821","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court, Lyubov Volkova, decides to leave the measure of restraint unchanged, the complaints of lawyers - without satisfaction.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180820","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court I. F. Zaroyts refuses to transfer the cassation appeal to the Presidium of the Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180815","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Azov District Court extends the detention of the spouses until 20.09.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180813","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 9 and 10, 2018, Mikhail and Elena Popov, who were arrested in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory) on suspicion of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, were released from arrest by an appeal decision of the Kamchatka Regional Court. Mikhail spent 11 days behind bars, Yelena - 4 days plus 7 days under house arrest.\nOn the morning of July 30, 2018, a series of searches were conducted in the homes of citizens selected on the basis of their attitude to religion in Vilyuchinsk. The Popovs were charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization and involvement in the activities of an extremist organization). On August 1, 2018, the Vilyuchinsky City Court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 56-year-old Mikhail Popov. Two days later, his wife Yelena was placed under house arrest.\nAppeals were filed against the decisions. On August 9, 2018, Olga Alekseeva, judge of the Kamchatka Regional Court, overturned the decision to detain Mikhail Popov by an appeal decision. On August 10, Judge Yevgeny Kirillov overturned the decision to elect house arrest to Yelena Popova.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem. Believers insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-11T14:08:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/429.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","appeal","families"],"title":"In Kamchatka, an appeals court released spouses arrested for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"It took the Russian authorities 9 years to implement the cunning plan. The chronology of the main stages, as well as the statements of analysts, are given in a 7-minute video.\nVideo footage of raids on peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses is shocking. How did law-abiding Jehovah's Witnesses become \"extremists\" in Russia?\nDecember 2009: The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared 34 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses \"extremist\"; LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" was liquidated\nAugust 2011: a criminal case under the article \"extremism\" was initiated against 16 Taganrog residents.\nApril 2013: Searches at the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\nFebruary 2014: the beginning of systematic planting of \"extremist\" materials to believers, followed by searches.\nApril 2015: Jehovah's Witnesses are banned from importing Bible publications into Russia; Millions of magazines detained by Russian customs\nMarch 2016: guilty verdict for all 16 Taganrog residents; The sentence is up to 5.5 years in prison conditionally.\nJuly 2016: action of armed special forces against believers in Karelia; pressure on believers in different parts of Russia begins\nApril 2017: Russian Supreme Court liquidates all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia citing \"extremism\"\nMay 2017: The first believer, Dennis Christensen, was sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Oryol.\nDecember 7, 2017: A St. Petersburg court legalized the seizure of real estate that housed the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia; the property is owned by a foreign owner, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.\nDecember 20, 2017: The Leningrad Regional Court declared the Russian translation of the Bible distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist material.\"\nApril 2018: searches were conducted in Ufa, Anatoliy Vilitkevich was sent to a pre-trial detention center\nAlyona Vilitkevich : At 6:40 a.m., the doorbell rang.\nAlfiya Ilyasova: I was at home with my children.\nVenera Mikhailova: I saw armed men on the street.\nOlesya Yakimova: There were riot police vests, masks and machine guns.\nElena Kozhevnikova: There was a very loud knock, I had to open it.\nGulfiya Khafizova: When my husband opened the doors, this young man put a gun to my husband's face.\nVenera Mikhailova: A search has begun. They threw everywhere, climbed everywhere.\nGulfiya Khafizova: We were not allowed to communicate with each other, we were not allowed to call anyone.\nOlesya Yakimova: When we were brought to the investigative committee, going up to the 2nd floor, my mother immediately became ill, and she fainted.\nElena Kozhevnikova: I ran up to my sister, she was already lying on the floor, on the dirty floor. We shouted, \"Help, somebody!\"\nOlesya Yakimova: And just a crowd of people, men who surrounded me, looked at all this, as if it was really some kind of farce and circus.\nElena Kozhevnikova: Then the ambulance came. She was taken away. Her daughter was released with her, but I was not.\nOlesya Yakimova: That is, I actually almost lost my mother that day.\nAlfiya Ilyasova: I'm not afraid for myself, I'm afraid for my children. And what will they do without me.\nSuzanne and Artur Ilyasov: We didn't do anything wrong, but they came at us with machine guns, and as if we were some kind of criminals.\nOver the following months, dozens of such searches and arrests were carried out in Russia.\nYaroslav Sivulsky from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, representatives of the Ministry of Justice repeatedly argued that the court's decision would not affect ordinary believers in any way. It will apply only to legal entities, but what do we see in fact? Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is being violated, and the norms of international law are being violated.\"\nMassimo Introvigne, Founding Director of the International Center for the Study of New Religions (Italy): \"During the fascist period, Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution. However, they were not persecuted for extremism, but quite the opposite. They were persecuted for pacifism, for refusing to cooperate with the fascist regime, for not supporting militant speeches and public sentiments. It can be said that they were persecuted for not being extremists. So when I found out that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia were being persecuted for extremism, it sounded ridiculous to me.\"\nMikhail Sitnikov, journalist: \"It turns out that in my country it is so easy to deal with, I emphasize this word \"crack down\", with a fairly large number of believers, with their dignity, their religious feelings. If it happened in some movie, yes, probably, it would be great, it would be a godsend - to show how you can mock people.\nAlexander Verkhovsky, member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation: \"Many of these repressive mechanisms are invented not for any particular group, but for some other threat, not religious, strictly speaking, but rather political. And then they are often used in quite unexpected ways.\nGerhard Bézier, religious scholar: \"Therefore, it would be very insidious to transfer the term 'extremism', a political term, to the religious sphere.\"\nMassimo Introvigne: \"I have yet to meet a single expert who would not agree that Russia's actions towards Jehovah's Witnesses are illegal, given the international Convention on Human Rights, which Russia is a signatory.\"\nAlexander Verkhovsky: \"In fact, with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses, this means that all, well, at least adult Jehovah's Witnesses, can potentially be prosecuted.\"\nMikhail Sitnikov: \"How to understand this? Like, look, you and I, like rabbits, can do anything. And not even just with you. But here he is, a Dane, because of him, a representative officially comes from Denmark, and we sneezed on it. As we did, so we will keep it. Intimidation? Who should be intimidated?\"\nAlexander Verkhovsky: \"There is not a single democratic country where such a mechanism would exist.\"\nMassimo Introvigne: \"One of Russia's goals is to give a semblance of legitimacy to the decision to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nGerhard Bézier: \"We must not give up trying to convey to the public what is happening.\"\nAs of August 8, 2018, there are 26 believers in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-08-08T13:28:11+03:00","duration":"7:48","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_78d1ab7bc705d235.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_fc43d2caaf6c2d2a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_c4f217835929130a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/414.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","video","analytics","review","mro","plant","search","suspended","liquidation","bible-ban","human-rights-defenders","sizo"],"title":"How were believers in Russia turned into \"extremists\"?","type":"video"},{"body":"The investigator submits a petition to the court to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev.\nThe court extends each measure of restraint in the form of detention for 4 months, and in total up to 6 months, that is, until December 12, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180807","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the morning of 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 detained. According to preliminary data, on August 3, 2018, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\nSome of the citizens who were searched were taken to the police station, where they were interviewed, fingerprinted and released. Others were sent to the FSB building, where they were interrogated by investigator V.S. Balakirev.\nDuring a search in the house of Valery Moskalenko, his 83-year-old mother, who had a pacemaker installed, became ill and an ambulance was called. At the end of the search, which lasted about 5 hours, Valeriy Moskalenko was taken away. According to the investigators, it is known that a case was opened against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). 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":"2018-08-03T17:18:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/379.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","elderly","health-risk","282.2-2","new-case"],"title":"A local resident was arrested in Khabarovsk for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 26, 2018, 22-year-old Sergey Rayman was sent to jail in Kostroma. His wife Valeria was chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. The couple are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn July 25, 2018, friends found their apartment empty with signs of a burglary on the door. It became known that Sergey and Valeria were sent to a temporary detention center. On the same day, armed riot police raided the homes of at least two other families suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. All computers and tablets, a printer and a Bible were seized from citizens. The search, among others, involved law enforcement officers Kuropatkin and Malinin. Law enforcement officers accompanied their actions with caustic comments regarding religion. The case is being investigated by investigator S. Korchashov, from the Central District Department of Kostroma of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.\nOn July 26, 2018, the Sverdlovsk District Court chose a measure of restraint for Sergey Rayman in the form of 2-month detention. The next day, the court chose a preventive measure for Valeria - in the form of a ban on leaving the house at night, a ban on the Internet, telephone and mail, as well as on communication with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah.\" The girl was prosecuted under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization and participation in the activities of an extremist community) only on the grounds that, according to the investigation, citizens gathered in her house twice to discuss the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-03T17:17:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0_hu_4854c360ed913aa2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0_hu_3b2a93c103894ca4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0_hu_192e772d263e87d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/378.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","families","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"A young man was arrested in Kostroma for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Railway Court of Khabarovsk Natalia Firsova makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint for Valery Moiseenko in the form of detention for a period of 1 month 29 days, i.e. until 01.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180803","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway against the decision of the Magadan City Court to extend the period of detention. Petrov is chosen a milder measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Puida, Yerkin and Zyablov remain in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Magadan region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180803","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 11:00 a.m., a search of Moskalenko's apartment begins in his absence. Valery himself comes home at about 12:00, after which the search continues until about 16:00. Then he was detained, taken to the investigation department, interrogated as a suspect. Protocols of detention and interrogation have been drawn up.\nInvestigator D. Pozdnyakov makes a decision to bring Moskalenko as an accused and obtain voice samples from him. He was questioned as an accused. A record of the interrogation of the accused has been drawn up.\nSearches are being conducted at five addresses where believers live.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180802","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 30, 2018, 44-year-old Dmitry Barmakin, who came from Crimea to Primorsky Krai to take care of the sick mother of his wife Elena, who lives in Nakhodka (Primorsky Territory), was sent to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Dmitry is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case against Dmitry Barmakin was initiated on July 27, 2018. It is being investigated by investigator G.Y. Tarasenko from the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Pervorechensky district of Vladivostok.\nOn July 28, 2018, at approximately 7 a.m., a group of armed masked men broke into the home of a 90-year-old woman who was visiting the Barmakins. The spouses were detained and taken to Vladivostok. Yelena was released, threatening that she \"will be next\" and \"will go under arrest after her husband.\" Dmitriy was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization).\nOn July 30, 2018, Olga Barabash, judge of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, sent Dmitry Barmakin to jail until September 27, 2018.\nIn total, at least three criminal cases have been initiated in the Primorye Territory against citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case of Valentin Osadchuk is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in Vladivostok. Another case, during which a military operation was carried out in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), is being investigated by the Investigative Department for the Nadezhdinsky District of the Investigative Committee of Russia.\nLaw enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-01T16:18:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1_hu_ef9922f011dd685f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1_hu_9ee4384f48cdbbd9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1_hu_a56c2aa557bee22e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/375.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Another Prisoner for Faith in Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Vilyuchinsky City Court N. M. Khorkhordina makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint for Mikhail Popov in the form of detention for a period of 1 month 26 days (until 24.09.2018), and also extends the period of detention of Elena Popova in custody up to 72 hours (until 04.08.2018).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180801","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A cassation appeal is filed with the Presidium of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court against the decisions of the Railway Court on detention and the Appeal Decision of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180731","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Sergey Klimov for a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180730","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Dmitry Barmakin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20180730","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7 a.m., a group of armed masked men burst into the home of a 90-year-old woman who is visiting the Barmakins. The spouses were detained and taken to Vladivostok. Yelena was released, threatening that she \"will be next\" and \"will go under arrest after her husband.\" Dmitriy was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization). Dmitry is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was prosecuted and detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20180728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 22, 2018, in the city of Berezovsky (Kemerovo Region), at least three dwellings of believers were searched. One of the apartments of the FSB officers in the Kemerovo region decided to storm from the balcony, despite the fact that the hostess opened the door to another group of employees. At the same time, a window was broken, the fragments of which injured the hostess (dissection of the forehead and arm).\nLater, the believers were interrogated by the senior investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region, M. I. Efimov, and a number of other employees. On July 24, by the decision of the judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo N.M. Naumova, two believers, Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk, were placed in custody until September 19, 2018. Sergey Britvin is a disabled person of the second group. A criminal case was opened under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). This case, as in the case of Dennis Christensen, is based on the testimony of a \"secret witness\", whose name the investigation does not disclose.\nLaw enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-27T20:12:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/374.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","health-risk"],"title":"In the Kemerovo region, two believers were placed in custody","type":"news"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey Rayman in the form of 2-month detention. In the pre-trial detention center, Sergey is placed in a small solitary confinement cell, no letters are missed, it is impossible to have a Bible under the pretext that it contains maps of ancient Palestine that can be used to prepare for escape. Later, however, the situation changes: it is allowed to have a Bible (cards removed) and receive letters that serve as support for the young man.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180726","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Puida, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin are extended by the Magadan City Court, at the request of an FSB investigator. Appeals are filed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180725","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Naumova from the Central District Court of Kemerovo makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to Britvin and Levchuk for 1 month and 28 days, i.e. until 19.09.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180724","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk were detained. Detention protocols have been drawn up. Both were questioned as suspects. Interrogation protocols have been drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180723","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Britvin was searched and taken to a pre-trial detention center.\nVadim Levchuk was detained and taken to his home. He was searched. A search report has been drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 15, 2018, four groups of law enforcement officers led by Major Alexander Bukov simultaneously broke into the apartments of civilians in Penza just because they allegedly profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Electronics, photographs, documents, and personal records were seized in all apartments. About 40 people were taken to police stations for questioning, leaving the children alone at home.\nSome police officers humiliated and intimidated believers during searches. In one case, a female investigator forced six women to fully undress for a body search.\nAfter interrogations, which lasted well after midnight, criminal cases were opened against four believers under various parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – participation in the activities of an extremist organization or organization thereof. Vladimir Alushkin was remanded in custody until September 14, 2018 inclusive. Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin were placed under house arrest for the same period.\nLaw enforcement officers across the country mistakenly mistake citizens' joint religion for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-20T15:34:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_hu_452b2859e91a6b76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_hu_f107157da6664010.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_hu_34e9e3ddb05b2843.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/372.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","personal-inspection","282.2-2","new-case","ivs","house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches and Detentions Took Place in Penza  ","type":"news"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the measure of restraint. The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, S. N. Kostenko, leaves the decision on the detention of Andrey Stupnikov unchanged, the appeal of the defender is dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180717","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin is placed in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov and Denis Timoshin, who are under house arrest, become accused in the same criminal case and are placed under house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180717","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Omsk Regional Court leaves Sergey and Anastasia in custody for 01 month and 16 days, that is, until 08/20/2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180716","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Groups of law enforcement officers under the leadership of Major Alexander Bukov simultaneously break into the apartments of Penza civilians Vladimir Alushkin, Andrey Magliv, Denis Timoshin, G. Chuvilina and Vladimir Kulyasov. At the same time, a search was being conducted in the house of Sergey Bozgalov, 90 kilometers from Penza. Many have been interrogated, four are behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180715","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It became known that Sergey Polyakov, who, together with his wife, did not get in touch for several days, was beaten during detention in his house in Omsk. Bodily injuries were inflicted by two Omsk law enforcement officers in masks.\nOn July 4, 2018, at 7:20 a.m., Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov were awakened by a knock on the door and immediately realized that it had begun to be hacked. To the question \"Who is there?\" they heard in response: \"Police.\" Sergey tried to make a phone call, but at that time masked men burst into the apartment and, without making any demands and without explaining anything, struck Sergey several blows to the head. At the same time, his nose and lip were broken, as a result of which severe bleeding began. Sergei was then thrown to the floor and one of the commandos hit him in the face with his knee. After a while, he was picked up and forced to wipe the blood on the floor in the hallway.\nDuring the invasion, the front door to the Polyakovs' apartment was practically blown off its hinges, and the door to the stairwell was also knocked out. The search of the Polyakovs' apartment and car lasted about 5 hours. When the couple asked law enforcement officers to introduce themselves, they were rude in response or mocked. A personal search of the spouses was also conducted. Anastasia was searched by a woman-witness (!). Investigator Denis Loginovsky ignored requests to clarify their rights and seek the help of a lawyer. A search was simply conducted, during which personal property was seized from the spouses. When Anastasia tried to indicate in the protocol what she did not agree with, the investigator snatched the sheet from her hands. Later, the spouses were taken in different cars to the village of Azovo (Omsk region), where identifications and other investigative actions were carried out. While traveling in the car, law enforcement officers forced Anastasia to testify, calling her an \"American agent\" and a \"sectarian.\"\nSergey's medical examination on the fact of inflicting bodily injuries was carried out only more than 2 days after the beating - in one of the medical institutions in the village of Azovo. Since Sergey still had a swollen nose, an X-ray examination was done.\nAnastasiya and Sergey were taken to the Azov District Court for a hearing on the election of a measure of restraint in handcuffs, and in the courtroom they were kept in a cage. The chairman of the court, Nina Iordan, sent both of them to Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region for 2 months . The couple ended up in prison because they are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Both of them are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has made a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities). They have been prosecuted.\nSergey and Anastasia Polyakov have been married since 2003. They have many friends who love them very much and have a hard time going through what is happening.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-13T19:08:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436_hu_2bf818a1715dd24b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436_hu_c845d386a502a91c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436_hu_3f0003a8b14633d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/370.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","search","sizo","health-risk","families"],"title":"Omsk law enforcement officers severely beat Sergey Polyakov","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 6, 2018, Nina Iordan, judge of the Azov District Court of the Omsk Region, sent a young woman, Anastasia Polyakova, as well as her husband, 46-year-old Sergey Polyakov, to the Omsk pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The couple ended up in prison because they are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Both of them are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). They have been prosecuted.\nEarly in the morning of July 4, 2018, Sergey and Anastasia, while at their home in Omsk, were awakened by an invasion of their home by law enforcement officers. The door to their apartment was broken into. In fact, they were detained and held in custody for more than 2 days, until the court chose a measure of restraint.\nThe investigation team is headed by Major of Justice Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov District Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region. Law enforcers in different regions of Russia mistakenly accept the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Presidential Council for Human Rights, have already drawn attention to this problem.\nAnastasia and Sergey can receive letters of support. Letters in foreign languages are not allowed to enter the pre-trial detention center, with the exception of children's drawings. Address for letters:\nSergey Valerievich Polyakov, born in 1972, FKU \"Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region\", 86 Ordzhonikidze St., Omsk, 644007. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system. (Criminal prosecution topics should not be discussed in the letters.)\nAnastasia Andreevna Polyakova, born in 1984, FKU \"Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region\", 86 Ordzhonikidze St., Omsk, 644007. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system. (Criminal prosecution topics should not be discussed in the letters.)\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-10T23:29:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365_hu_99486f4fcedd5055.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365_hu_f497856188a1c5b7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365_hu_78dbefeceeca849b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/367.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","families"],"title":"For the first time a young woman was sent to prison for her Christian faith","type":"news"},{"body":"A court hearing in the Azov City Court of the Omsk Region as a measure of restraint. Sergey and Anastasia were left in custody in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months until 04.09.2018 by the decision of the chairman of the court Nina Iordan.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180706","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 4, 2018, at least 70 people came to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court\u0026nbsp;of Krasnoyarsk to support 44-year-old Andrey Stupnikov, who was arrested the day before because of his religion. After a 45-minute hearing, Judge Marina Belova chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of 2-month detention, until September 2, 2018.\nIt became known that a criminal case was initiated against Andrey Stupnikov under\u0026nbsp;Part\u0026nbsp;1 of Article\u0026nbsp;282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\u0026nbsp;- \"organization of the\u0026nbsp;activities of an extremist organization\". He was arrested by FSB officers. Detention in court was sought by investigator S. Brigida and prosecutor T. Lazovskaya.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The special services presented to the court the materials of operational-search activities, according to which Andrei Stupnikov planned to take part in the international congress of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany. In the arrest warrant, the judge noted that in Germany Stupnikov \"can obtain political asylum, knowing that criminal prosecution is being conducted against him.\" Therefore, the most severe measure of restraint was chosen.\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to such criminal cases in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"The accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not\u0026nbsp;consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\nGiven such an arbitrary interpretation of the law, it requires great civic courage and a clear conscience before people and God to come to court and support fellow believers.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-05T15:55:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0_hu_cc6736e08ebee74b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0_hu_f400caebd83f2260.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0_hu_4a297b5b4b7dc816.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/359.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, a believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Viktor Trofimov's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180705","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov is being interrogated as a suspect. He refuses to be interrogated at night due to poor health. By the decision of the judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Belova, M. M. Stupnikov is taken into custody for a period of 2 months, that is, until September 2, 2018 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180704","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Puida is being transferred from SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk to SIZO-1 in Magadan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180626","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Roman Markin's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180625","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions on the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on June 14, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180625","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the Supreme Court of Bashkortostan, Anatoliy Vilitkevich, who had been detained in a pre-trial detention center for more than two months, was transferred to house arrest. On June 21, the court granted his lawyer's request to change the measure of restraint and agreed with the arguments that the accused did not pose a threat to society and would not try to leave the city.\nAnatoliy Vilitkevich was detained on April 12 in Ufa on charges of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). His wife, Alyona, was one of the authors of a collective letter to the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, which drew attention to the massive repression of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country. When Anatoliy was taken away by the police, one of the officers told his wife that now she would not see him for a long time, and the investigator in the case advised her to \"look for a new husband.\"\nIt is noteworthy that earlier the courts rejected the lawyer of Anatoliy Vilitkevich in petitions to change the measure of restraint. But on June 20, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. A day earlier, more than 60 human rights defenders and public figures signed an open letter demanding an end to repressions against believers.\n(See also video interviews with Alyona Vilitkevich and other victims of mass searches in Ufa.)\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-06-22T14:19:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0_hu_53b34aac5de16967.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0_hu_2c166c994f89e2d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0_hu_70dd655a886bd0d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/356.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich was released from the pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"Appeals have been filed against the decisions on the election of a measure of restraint to Konstantin Bazhenov and Felix Makhammadiev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180617","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 12, 2018, in Saratov and the region, law enforcement officers conducted mass searches in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Three people were arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center: 43-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov, 35-year-old Aleksey Budenchuk and 33-year-old Felix Makhammadiev.\nAt least 7 searches are known in the city of Saratov and the village of Shiroko (Saratov region). Acting extremely rudely, law enforcement officers broke down apartment doors. So, having come with a search to Konstantin and Irina Bazhenov, the special forces mistakenly cut the door to their neighbors and only then, having figured it out, broke the door to the apartment of the spouses. During the searches, all equipment, books, photographs, notebooks, personal savings, savings books, and foreign passports were seized from citizens.\nDuring at least 2 searches, prohibited items were planted. For example, during a search in the village of Shirokoye, in the house of Aleksey and Tatyana Budenchuk, in the sleeve of a children's jacket hanging on a hanger, the visitors shoved and defiantly \"found\" two books, one of which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. Aleksey Budenchuk was detained.\nMore than 10 people were taken to the FSB for interrogation, some were interrogated almost until midnight. In general, during interrogations, believers followed the admonition from the Bible: \"I will bridle my mouth until the wicked are before me. I was mute and silent, and silent even about good things\" (Bible, Psalms 38:2, 3).\nOn June 14, 2018, it became clear that Konstantin Bazhenov, Feliks Makhammadiyev, Aleksey Budenchuk were charged under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\"). Svetlana Gogoleva, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov, chose a measure of restraint in the form of 2-month detention (until August 12, 2018) for these law-abiding respected citizens.\nSuch a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a terrible miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to indiscriminately liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers, driven by unknown motives, pass off the joint religion of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-15T16:31:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/349.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","ivs","sizo","interrogation","282.2-1"],"title":"Saratov: Searches, Planting and Arrest of Three Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"An appeal has been filed against the decision to impose a preventive measure on Alexei Budenchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180615","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Magadan Regional Court does not satisfy the appeals against the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention of Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180614","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Gogoleva, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of 2 months of detention in relation to Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev, that is, until August 12, 2018.\nAleksey Gridasov and Gennady German were chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180614","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator submits a petition for the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention in relation to Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180613","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court does not satisfy the appeal against the election of a measure of restraint for Ivan Puide in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180609","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Polyarny District Court extends the arrest of Viktor Trofimov and Roman Markin for 5 months and 24 days at once.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180608","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to arrest Sergey Klimov for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180605","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 10, 2018, Anatoliy Vilitkevich was arrested during a search of his apartment in Ufa. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan upheld the decision of the lower court on his detention. At the same time, searches were carried out in 7 more dwellings of Ufa residents.\nAlyona Vilitkevich recalls: \"At 6:40 in the morning, the doorbell rang. We were still asleep. Tolya opens the door and I see that people enter the corridor, two in masks with machine guns, and then 8 people entered.\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"When my husband asked through the door: \"Who is there?\", They said: \"You are pouring us.\" He said, \"Actually, we live on the ground floor.\" They said: \"The Investigative Committee. Open it.\" There was a very loud knock, I had to open it. Then they put a machine gun right in his forehead. They pushed them back and started shouting: \"Where is the family?! Where is your family?!\"\nAlfiya Ilyasova: \"I was at home with the children. My daughter is seventeen years old and my son is eight years old.\"\nVenera Mikhailova: \"The children were all shocked, everyone was raised.\"\nOksana Lapina: \"And my grandson, who is 4 years old, got scared, began to cry a lot.\"\nOlesya Yakimova: \"I actually woke up from the fact that my mother was screaming that the police. She didn't know what to do. For us, this is, of course, a non-standard situation, stress. A huge crowd of people on two defenseless women.\"\nDuring the searches, all electronic devices, telephones, and personal records were seized from believers, including teenagers and children.\nOksana Lapina: \"They confiscated two Bibles of the Synodal translation, my personal notes. My daughter's 9th grade book was confiscated. Apparently, they thought that the anthology was somehow connected with Christ.\nImmediately after the searches, all believers, including those with small children, were taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nOlesya Yakimova: \"When we were brought to the Investigative Committee, having climbed to the 2nd floor, my mother immediately became ill and fainted.\"\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"I ran up to my sister, she was already lying on the floor, on the dirty floor. We were shouting, 'Help, somebody!'\nOlesya Yakimova: \"That is, my mother was practically dying in my arms. Her breathing stopped, she screamed in pain, her chest was bursting, her pulse was not beating. And just a crowd of people, men who surrounded me, looked at it all as if it was really some kind of farce and circus.\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"They stepped over her hands, which fell like this all the time, they went to the smoking room over us while we were lying on the floor. At some point, it seemed to me that she was already dying, because she turned blue and said: \"I see the light\"... Then the ambulance arrived. She was taken away. Her daughter was released with her, but I was not.\"\nOlesya Yakimova: \"That is, I actually almost lost my mother that day.\"\nAs a result, Olesya's mother spent almost two weeks in the hospital. Even after a while, those who survived these raids can barely find the words to describe their feelings.\nVenera Mikhailova: \"I've never seen people attacked like that. It was very painful, as if a huge tank had been driven through the chest.\nOlesya Yakimova: \"And they talked like criminals.\"\nSuzanne and Artur Ilyasov: \"We didn't do anything wrong, but they came at us with machine guns, and as if we were some kind of criminals. That was very frustrating.\"\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"My husband said that he had never experienced such humiliation in his 50 years of life.\"\nUnfortunately, such humiliation of civilians has become the norm in modern Russia.\nOperational video footage published by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation shows armed law enforcement officers breaking down the door of believers and shouting: \"Police! On the floor! On the floor! Hands on the back of my head!\"\nOver the past two months, dozens of searches have been conducted in more than 10 regions of Russia. Hundreds of law enforcement officers are involved. At time of writing, 12 believers are in custody.\nAlyona Vilitkevich: \"Of course I miss it, maybe I've already realized a little bit of what happened, that while he will be there. But now, I just miss it, it's not enough. Because always, every day together, together, but not here.\"\nAnatoliy Vilitkevich from Ufa remains in custody by a court decision. Relatives and friends of Anatoliy very much hope that despite the threats of law enforcement officers, the outcome of this criminal case is still not predetermined.\nAlyona Vilitkevich: \"An investigator came in, I asked him: \"Excuse me, but can I ask if I can take the SIM card?\" He says very rudely and angrily: \"No! You can buy new phones, a new tablet and look for a new husband!'\"\nAlfiya Ilyasova: \"One of the detectives said that you will have a suspended sentence, and Anatoly Vilitkevich will have a real term. It turns out that they have already passed a sentence on us in advance.\nMass searches and arrests of believers were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate and ban the activities of all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nYaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses says: \"During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, representatives of the Ministry of Justice repeatedly argued that the court's decision would not affect ordinary believers in any way. It will apply only to legal entities, but what do we see in fact? Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is being violated, and the norms of international law are being violated.\"\nJehovah's Witnesses filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. It will be considered as a matter of priority. In the meantime, Alena Vilitkevich reads touching letters from her husband again and again and hopes that soon he will be free. \"Alenchik, I love you,\" Anatoly writes to her from custody, \"Apparently, we won't be able to see each other yet. But don't give up and hold on. I will also try. Please call my mom, she needs your help now. You're strong with me. I've always known that. If you can, say hello from me to your everyone and everyone I know. I love you.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-06-04T18:14:33+03:00","duration":"6:54","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0_hu_60a137a6aea19200.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0_hu_a29a2ac2c7d690d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0_hu_4a59aaa1922d40cc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/338.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","search","sizo","minors","interrogation","health-risk","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Arrests of believers all over Russia","type":"video"},{"body":"24-year-old Aydar Yulmetyev was arrested on May 29, 2018 in Naberezhnye Chelny, who is suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. His arrest was preceded by mass searches in the homes of local citizens, as well as the arrest of 37-year-old Ilham Karimov, 30-year-old Vladimir Myakushin and 29-year-old Konstantin Matrashov. It is known that in relation to one of them, Vladimir Myakushin, a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 57 days, until July 25, 2018, was chosen.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-01T16:32:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/337.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","ivs"],"title":"Fourth believer taken into custody in Tatarstan ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of May 30, 2018, 39-year-old Ivan Puyda, who is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was taken into custody in Khabarovsk. His apartment was searched, during which his wife Anastasia and her mother Olga were also present.\nIt is noteworthy that the arrest warrant for Ivan Puida was issued by a court in Magadan, where three believers were arrested on the same day .\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization and bring charges against them of \"organizing\" or \"participating\" in \"extremist activities\", and even of \"financing\" it (282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-01T16:18:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/335.html","regions":["magadan","khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"A 39-year-old believer was arrested in Khabarovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2018, Konstantin Petrov, 31, Yevgeny Zyablov, 41, and Sergey Yerkin, 65, were arrested in Magadan on suspicion of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches were conducted.\nThe searches were carried out by FSB officers accompanied by armed masked special forces. The case is being conducted by an investigation team, including investigators Amerkhan Aspiev and Alexander Chuprina. During the searches, electronic devices, bank cards, books from the personal library were seized.\nThe believers are kept in a temporary detention center. The issue of the measure of restraint for detainees must be decided by the Magadan City Court no later than June 1, 2018.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization and bring charges against them of \"organizing\" or \"participating\" in \"extremist activities\", and even of \"financing\" it (282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-01T16:16:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/334.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"Three believers arrested in Magadan region","type":"news"},{"body":"Puida, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin are elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 months. Believers are placed in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180601","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court officially detains Yulmetyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180531","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two days after the raids, another young man, Aidar Yulmetyev, was arrested.\nThe court chooses a measure of restraint for Ilham Karimov in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180529","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Mikhailov was taken into custody. A case is also being opened against him on charges of \"financing\" extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180529","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Naberezhnye Chelny, security forces raided and searched at least 10 apartments of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two people were arrested and taken into custody: Vladimir Myakushin and Konstantin Matrashov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180527","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Judge Angela Sizova, issues a decision \"to release Alam Aliyev from custody immediately in the courtroom.\" The measure of restraint is replaced by a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20180525","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 19, 2018, 2 days after the raid on believers in the Orenburg region, the Industrial District Court of Orenburg chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 citizens who are accused of organizing worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. The 3rd believer from the special detention center was transferred to house arrest.\n25-year-old Vladislav Kolbanov was placed under house arrest. The hearing in his case was scheduled for May 18, 2018 at 15:00, but lasted until 23:17 local time. 50 relatives and friends came to support the young man, only 15 of them fit in the hall, the rest were waiting in the corridor and on the street. When the court announced the decision to transfer him from the detention center to house arrest, the audience applauded for a long time. Arrested for 58 days, until July 14, 2018, 38-year-old Vladimir Kochnev, married, has positive characteristics from the place of residence and work (master of metal products). The corresponding decision was made by Judge Igor Izmailov. Arrested for 58 days, until July 14, 2018, 38-year-old Aleksandr Suvorov, a key maker, is married and has a young daughter. The court was presented with positive references from Suvorov's place of residence and work, letters of thanks, diplomas and certificates from the place of study and institutions of additional education of the child, but Judge Igor Izmailov did not find an opportunity to choose a milder measure of restraint than detention. Currently, 8 citizens are behind bars in different regions of Russia, namely: Dennis Christensen in Orel, Anatoly Vilitkevich in Ufa, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov in the Murmansk region, Valentin Osadchuk in Vladivostok, Alam Aliyev in Birobidzhan and Vladimir Kochnev and Alexander Suvorov in Orenburg.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-05-22T15:25:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/322.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Orenburg, two citizens were sent to a pre-trial detention center for their faith, one was placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Orenburg chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 citizens. The court places Vladimir Kochnev and Aleksandr Suvorov in a pre-trial detention center for 58 days, until July 14, 2018. The court transfers Vladislav Kolbanov from the special detention center to house arrest. The hearing lasts from 11 a.m. to almost midnight.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20180519","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"44-year-old Roman Markin and 61-year-old Viktor Trofimov, residents of Polyarny (Murmansk region), were sent to a pre-trial detention center for almost 2 months on suspicion of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). They did not get in touch after the searches, which took place on April 18, 2018 in this city in 7 apartments belonging to citizens who are considered Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe searches were carried out almost simultaneously, with the participation of armed riot police, who acted extremely rudely. In the evening, Roman Markin was at home with his 16-year-old daughter. At 7:40 p.m., the door to their apartment was kicked down by riot police. At gunpoint, they were forced to lie on the floor and searched. Markin's daughter was taken away and interrogated until 3 a.m. Elsewhere, an elderly man opened the door to a group of armed commandos, and they pushed him with such force that he fell. By their actions, law enforcement officers bruised two more women who were visiting. The teenagers, siblings, were put against the wall and ordered to hold their arms outstretched. A total of 17 citizens were searched, all electronic devices were seized and taken away for interrogation, which lasted until 7 am.\nThe criminal case was initiated on April 12, 2018 by the Investigative Department for ZATO Aleksandrovsk (which includes the cities of Polyarny and Snezhnogorsk) of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Murmansk Region. The believers were interrogated by several investigators, including Ivan Misa. The case was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcers often mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\nIt is noteworthy that earlier, on October 23, 2016, brochures submitted to the FSEM were planted at the service of Jehovah's Witnesses in Snezhnogorsk. Law enforcement officers then drove up to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and, referring to a \"message received,\" said that there might be weapons in the building. Weapons, as expected, were not found, but banned brochures were demonstratively \"discovered\". The epidemic of such falsifications led to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which became the reason for the arrests of believers.\nRoman Nikolaevich Markin (born in 1974) and Viktor Fedorovich Trofimov (born in 1957) are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Murmansk Region.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-05-11T11:30:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_hu_468fe1d1fbbba777.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_hu_619a7fd0852b7191.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_hu_40d9309332b42448.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/312.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","minors"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Civilians Detained for 55 Days in the Arctic","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Roman Markin's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180507","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Viktor Trofimov's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180430","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Polyarny District Court sent Viktor Trofimov and Roman Markin to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180423","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok sends Valentin Osadchuk to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20180423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok sends Valentin Osadchuk to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20180423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok, 42-year-old Valentin Osadchuk, was arrested for two months, until June 20, 2018. He is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in an extremist organization). On the eve of his arrest, on April 19, 2018, police officers and the FSB conducted searches in the homes of local residents. Women of 66 and 83 years old (!) were involved as suspects under the same article in the criminal case, they were taken on their own recognizance.\nThe criminal case was initiated on April 9, 2018 by an FSB investigator. This was preceded by operational-search activities, including secret video filming. On April 23, 2018, Sergey Olkhovsky, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok, chose a preventive measure in the form of detention against Valentin Osadchuk. On April 27, 2018, the investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Primorsky Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice O. A. Tunyk, decided to bring Valentin Osadchuk as an accused.\nThe criminal case was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, including the local religious organization in Vladivostok. Law enforcers often mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/311.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-2","search","new-case"],"title":"In Primorye, a civilian was arrested for 2 months for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 10, 18, 19 and 20, 2018, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Bashkiria, the Murmansk Region, the Primorye Territory and the Ivanovo Region. Four citizens were arrested.\nOn April 10, 2018, 8 searches were carried out simultaneously in Ufa . Appeals have been filed against the search order with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan. One of the citizens, a 32-year-old man, was arrested and is in jail until June 2, 2018.\nOn the evening of April 18, 2018, in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region), searches were carried out in the homes of local citizens. Two citizens, men 44 years old and 61 years old, who were seen in the police, do not get in touch. Presumably, they were arrested.\nOn April 19, 2018, law enforcement officers invaded one of the dwellings in Vladivostok. A 42-year-old man was arrested. He learned that he would be charged under Article 282. (organization of an extremist organization).\nSince the morning of April 20, 2018, at least three searches in the homes of local residents have been carried out in the city of Shuya (Ivanovo region). One of the citizens, a 33-year-old man, was taken to the police.\nEarlier, in January and February 2018, mass searches took place in Belgorod and Kemerovo. Citizens are suspected of continuing the activities of the organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\"\nAll searches and arrests were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. At the same time, the Russian authorities continue to maintain that this decision does not prohibit the practice of the Jehovah's Witnesses. A Danish citizen who has been in pre-trial detention since May 25, 2017, was taken into custody in Oryol on a similar charge. On July 21, 2017, the Memorial Human Rights Center recognized Dennis Christensen as a political prisoner.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-04-20T15:56:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0_hu_e4cc14d2169bc51c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0_hu_6e8eef7dc4a96af6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0_hu_eb738af7a5a4a71f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/301.html","regions":["bashkortostan","murmansk","ivanovo","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","282"],"title":"In four regions of Russia, citizens who are considered Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested almost simultaneously","type":"news"},{"body":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich was transferred to special. block, where those arrested under grave and especially grave articles are usually kept. There are two other people in the cell with him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180420","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the mass searches that took place in Ufa on April 10, 2018, one of the local residents, 32-year-old Anatoliy Vilitkevich, was arrested. He is charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization) due to the fact that he allegedly professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn April 12, 2018, Larisa Mokhova, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa, issued a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Anatoly Vilitkevich in the form of detention until June 2, 2018 inclusive. At the same time, the court ignored a number of legal requirements, for example, it did not indicate in its decision why it was impossible to choose a milder measure, and also did not check the validity of Anatoly Vilitkevich's involvement in the crime imputed to him.\nOn April 16, 2018, Anatoliy Vilitkevich's lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan against the court's decision to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention. On April 19, 2018, during the appeal hearing in the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the decision to detain the believer was upheld.\nThe arrest was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-04-19T21:11:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969_hu_30ba949c5c8a9279.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969_hu_679eab0c5142f06f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969_hu_d00c1d85a8dacd8e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/299.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","282.2-2","ivs","review","appeal"],"title":"In Bashkiria, a believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 52 days","type":"news"},{"body":"Larisa Mokhova, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa, makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Anatoly Vilitkevich in the form of detention for 54 days. At the same time, the court did not indicate why it was impossible to choose a milder measure, and also did not check the validity of Anatoly Vilitkevich's involvement in the crime imputed to him. Anatoly Vilitkevich was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180412","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detention of Dennis Christensen, a Dane who has been held in pre-trial detention for about 9 months for about 9 months due to the fact that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, has been extended until at least August 1, 2018. The decision to extend the arrest on February 22, 2018 was made by Alexei Rudnev, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel.\nMeanwhile, on February 26, 2018, the start of the main hearings in the criminal case against Denis Christensen is scheduled. He is accused of continuing the activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated by the court. In fact, Christensen has nothing to do with this organization. He was merely exercising a right that \"everyone\" is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, namely the right to have religious beliefs and act in accordance with them.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-02-23T14:20:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/289.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"The detention of a believer in the city of Oryol has been extended for another 5 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 20, 2017, a judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol decided to keep the law-abiding Jehovah's Witness behind bars, extending his detention until February 23, 2018.\nA local resident, Dennis Christensen, who has Danish citizenship and is married to an Orlov woman, was arrested on May 25, 2017 during a Bible study, which he attended with his wife Irina. The FSB officers investigating the case baselessly stated that Christensen \"continued\" the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol, which was liquidated by a court decision. Meanwhile, the believer was never a member of this organization, as the court could easily verify by simply looking at the documents received from the local department of justice. In the six months since Christensen's arrest, FSB investigators have interviewed dozens of residents of the Oryol region and other regions, trying to gather evidence of any illegal activity of the believer.\nDuring the 3-hour hearing, Judge Andrei Tretyakov did not satisfy the defense's motions to replace the measure of restraint with a milder one, such as house arrest. The court also did not take into account the official guarantees of the Royal Embassy of Denmark, which, on humanitarian grounds, gave assurances that it would not provide Christensen with a new passport to replace the one seized by the investigators and would not assist him in leaving the Russian Federation.\nThe fact that the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol was liquidated by the court, and its activities were banned, does not negate the right of \"everyone\" (that is, not only a citizen of Russia) to freedom of religion, enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to the Basic Law of the country, everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or in community with others, any religion, freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them. The main occupation of Dennis Christensen in Orel was the installation of wooden structures, he was in Orel for personal reasons, and not at the invitation of any organization.\nDennis Christensen is completely innocent.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-11-20T20:49:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115_hu_754b209349d14a6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115_hu_b7af5b2b383deaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115_hu_a42dd01d8bfa20b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/11/262.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"The Oryol District Court extended the arrest of a believing Danish citizen for another three months","type":"news"},{"body":"An appeal against the arrest of a Jehovah's Witness in Oryol was unsuccessful. On September 28, 2017, the Oryol Regional Court, after hearings that took 2 days and lasted 7 hours, upheld the measure of restraint in the form of detention.\nBeliever Dennis Christensen was arrested on May 25, 2017 while reading the Bible with fellow believers. The arrest was a direct consequence of the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol. Although Dennis Christensen was never a founder or member of this organization, representatives of the investigation inaccurately told the court - and the court did not check this - that he was its \"leader\". He was groundlessly charged with continuing the activities of an organization that was liquidated for extremism.\nLawyers insist on the complete innocence of Dennis Christensen. The liquidation of a legal entity does not cancel the constitutional right of everyone to freedom of religion. Although Dennis Christensen is a Danish citizen, he lives in Oryol with his wife Irina, works in the field of installation construction. He was never a \"foreign missionary\" and came to Orel for personal reasons, not at the invitation of any organization.\nThe court refused to replace the detention of the believer in the Oryol pre-trial detention center with house arrest, even despite the official guarantees of the Royal Embassy of Denmark, which, for humanitarian reasons, gave assurances that it would not provide him with a new passport to replace the one seized by the investigators and would not assist him in leaving the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-09-29T23:12:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0_hu_754b209349d14a6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0_hu_b7af5b2b383deaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0_hu_a42dd01d8bfa20b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/223.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"The believer in Oryol was left behind bars until at least November 23","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2017, after a 4-hour hearing, the Oryol Regional Court postponed the appeal hearing in the case of Dane citizen Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who is being held in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Oryol. The reason is that the court of first instance did not submit to the appeal part of the evidence of the defense, which was examined when considering the issue of extending the detention.\nThe court of first instance chose the most severe measure of restraint, baselessly assuming that Dennis Christensen could hide from the investigation and the court, leaving for the borders of Russia. Lawyers point to the redundancy of such a severe measure of restraint. Investigators seized the believer's passport, so he cannot physically leave Russia. Attached to the case is a letter from the Danish Embassy, which states: \"For humanitarian reasons, the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow in support of the petition ... on the replacement of a measure of restraint in the form of detention with another measure of restraint gives assurances at the place of demand that the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow will not provide a new passport to D.O. Christensen and will not assist D.O. Christensen to leave the territory of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer is suspected of continuing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the court. Seeking his full acquittal, at this stage, the lawyers are asking the Court of Appeal to choose a measure of restraint against Dennis Christensen in the form of cash bail or house arrest. The appeal hearing will continue in the Oryol Regional Court on September 28, 2017 at 14:00.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-09-21T10:59:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1_hu_10c950a52b9622d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1_hu_cc8155b9c08ec28d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1_hu_2697bcaa226cb8fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/219.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"title":"The appeal hearing in the case of a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark in Oryol will continue on September 28","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2017, the Oryol Regional Court is considering an appeal against the decision of the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol to extend the period of detention of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen for another 4 months. The believer is suspected of continuing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the court. The lawyers are asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the decision to extend the prison sentence and choose a measure of restraint in the form of cash bail or house arrest against Dennis Christensen.\nThe decision to extend the period of detention was made on July 20, 2017 by Judge S. Naumova, the same one who made the initial decision to choose a measure of restraint in the form of imprisonment against the believer. In fact, when deciding whether to extend the period of detention and establishing whether there were grounds for choosing this measure of restraint, Judge Naumova had to decide whether her own actions in applying the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation regulating the procedure for choosing a preventive measure had previously been appropriate and sufficient. In other words, it was considering an issue on which it had previously decided, which is unacceptable in Russian legal proceedings. In accordance with this, the judge was unsuccessfully challenged at the hearing.\nThe court also ignored the arguments of the defense about the redundancy and unreasonableness of such a severe measure of restraint. For example, the meeting examined an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, as well as the charter of the liquidated organization, which confirm that Dennis Christensen, although he is Jehovah's Witness by religion, was not and could not be the founder, member or leader of this registered religious association, and therefore cannot be accused of continuing its activities. However, in its ruling, the court did not even mention this and did not evaluate any of the evidence presented by the defense. ","category":"restriction","date":"2017-09-19T20:27:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542_hu_754b209349d14a6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542_hu_b7af5b2b383deaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542_hu_a42dd01d8bfa20b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/217.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","complaints","mro"],"title":"An appeal against the extension of the arrest of a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark is being heard in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 20, 2017, by the decision of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was left in a pre-trial detention center for another 4 months, until November 23. The court decided to extend his preventive measure as a criminal who committed a \"serious offense\", despite the complete absence of corpus delicti and victims.\nThe court rejected all of the defense's motions except one, for a public hearing. The judge did not agree to release the believer under house arrest with a bail of 1 million rubles, insisting that a peaceful believer should be isolated from society, although the investigation still cannot explain what his crime is.\nThe investigation continues to mislead the court by claiming that Christensen is the leader of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol. In fact, he was never even a member of this organization.\nThe trial was attended by numerous foreign observers, including the Danish Vice-Consul and Danish and German media representatives.\nThe believer's lawyers are preparing an appeal.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-07-22T23:04:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0_hu_5cf7dce59158f7c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0_hu_67de9140ed0d2025.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0_hu_202619b202d23b6b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/197.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen Left in Pre-Trial Detention, Defense Motions Rejected ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 20, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., the Sovetskiy District Court of Oryol begins a hearing on further restraint for an innocent Jehovah's Witness, a Danish citizen, who has been languishing in the Oryol pre-trial detention center since May 25 just because he read the Bible with fellow believers. He is charged with violating Article 282.2 (\"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization\").\nThe case of Dane Dennis Christensen, who has been living in Oryol for more than 10 years, will be heard by the same judge Svetlana Naumova, who previously considered detention to be the only possible preventive measure for law-abiding Dennis. The FSB investigator in charge of the case again asks the court for the most severe measure of restraint.\nThere are oddities in this case. Of particular bewilderment were the circumstances of the appeal hearing on the decision on detention, which was to be held on June 7, 2017 in the Oryol Regional Court under the chairmanship of Judge Igor Paukov. The hearing was unexpectedly postponed until June 21 due to the lack of a Danish translator, but an article suddenly appeared in the official newspaper stating that \"the Oryol Regional Court upheld the decision of the district court to arrest a Danish citizen.\" Such a \"false start\" leads to suspicion that the decision was made and communicated to the journalists of the official newspaper even before the court hearing with the participation of an interpreter, which took place more than 10 days later, on June 21, 2017.\nAnother oddity is that investigators continue to convince the court that the Danish citizen was allegedly the head of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Orel. In fact, he was never not only a leader, but also a member of this organization, as is easy to see by referring to official information.\nLawyers continue to work actively, proving the complete innocence of the believer.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-07-19T18:22:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0_hu_34ae99f8c6b6a24d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0_hu_32d20a5bf70c40ac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0_hu_88d902713ca71bcc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/196.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"Whether the Danish believer will be released from custody, the court in Oryol decides","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2017, the Court of Appeal found justified the most severe measure of restraint for a peaceful meek man, Dennis Christensen, who had already spent 4 weeks in the Oryol pre-trial detention center just for reading the Bible with his brothers and sisters in faith. Hearing the court's ruling, many of those present in the hall could not hold back their tears.\nFSB investigators are investigating Dennis, charging him with \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\" Insisting on the most severe measure of restraint, law enforcement officers inaccurately informed the court that Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen, was allegedly the head of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Orel. In fact, he was never not only a leader, but also a member of this organization. Lawyers continue to work actively to prove the complete innocence of the believer.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-06-21T18:54:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/183.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"title":"Oryol Regional Court Left Innocent Believer in Custody","type":"news"},{"body":"The authorities of the city of Oryol awarded local Jehovah's Witnesses for their active participation in cleaning the city from garbage. Believers were pleased to receive gratitude from the city administration and a gift (book) with the signature: \"In gratitude for a good deed - garbage collection for the benefit of people and nature.\"\nSignature on a gift from the city administration\nJehovah's Witnesses, wherever they live, seek to benefit their neighbors not only by spreading Bible knowledge, but also by participating in various types of socially useful activities. The same is the civic position of Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol who took an active part in the cleanup. Standing knee-deep in the cold water of the Orlik River, he pulled garbage out of the river with a net. All work was carried out free of charge.\nCleaning of the territory in the city of Orel, 2011–2017 In view of this, it is especially paradoxical that Christensen has been languishing in a city pre-trial detention center for almost three weeks on falsified charges of organizing an extremist community. Believers are perplexed, because, according to the city authorities, it is this community that benefits the city. Garbage collection turned out to be the last good deed of Dennis, which he managed to do while free.\nIt is noteworthy that the representative of the Oryol administration sympathized with Jehovah's Witnesses in connection with religious persecution in the country and wished them not to lose their fortitude.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2017-06-14T15:04:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2_hu_2a3c1940e2112dba.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2_hu_4d1db111accf3020.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2_hu_d49d3382de2ae049.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/180.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["gratitude","sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen, who is languishing in a pre-trial detention center, and his fellow believers received gratitude from local authorities","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., the Oryol Regional Court will consider an appeal against the decision to detain local Jehovah's Witness, Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen, for 2 months. He was arrested on May 25, 2017 while reading the Bible with fellow believers. He, a peace-loving and respected person, faces up to 10 years in prison on charges of organizing an extremist community.\nAn appeal against the decision of the District Court to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention was filed on May 29, 2017. On May 30, the Danish consul met with Christensen in the Oryol pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-06-02T10:26:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/174.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"title":"The complaint about the detention of a believer will be considered on June 7, 2017","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2017, an appeal was filed with the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Oryol Regional Court against the court's decision to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention against a local resident, a foreign citizen Dennis Christensen.\nThe believer's lawyer considers the decision illegal and asks for it to be canceled. The court was obliged to indicate why a milder measure could not be chosen, but this was not done. As the only justification for choosing the most severe measure of restraint, the court indicated the fact that Christensen is a Danish citizen (according to the court, he can hide from the investigating authorities). The court rejected other unfounded arguments of the investigator about the need to detain the accused.\nIn addition, the court made such a harsh decision only on the basis of his religion, despite the fact that he has no previous convictions, has a permanent place of residence and work, where he is characterized positively, and also despite the fact that his behavior is fundamentally different from the behavior of those who seek to incite enmity, hatred and humiliation of human dignity. This means that the court discriminated on the basis of nationality and attitude to religion.\nExtremism, or incitement to hatred, is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses because they follow the philanthropic precepts of Jesus Christ. They deny all accusations of extremism as grossly wrong.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-05-31T00:15:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282_hu_d8d96bbbcc2f3e4a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282_hu_d2278bfcbc96df87.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282_hu_b3bf0996023ab705.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/172.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"title":"A Complaint Filed in Oryol Against a Court Order to Detain One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Respected in the circle of fellow believers, 44-year-old Dane Dennis Christensen was sent to the pre-trial detention center of the city of Orel for 2 months. He is charged with continuing the activities of an organization that was banned for extremism (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He was arrested on May 25, 2017, during a joint Bible reading conducted by local Jehovah's Witnesses in a building on Zheleznodorozhnaya Street.\nOn the evening of May 25, at 7:30 p.m., the street near the building belonging to one of the believers began to fill with cars and buses with armed masked men - riot policemen. Under the direction of an FSB investigator, the group entered the building and blocked believers who were forbidden to touch phones and tablets. Document checks, searches and interrogations continued until the morning. Searches were conducted in a number of believers' homes.\nOn Friday, May 26, 2017, Judge Svetlana Naumova decided to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 months against Dennis Christensen. Dennis's wife, Irina Christensen, as well as lawyers, intend to use all possible legal remedies. The Consulate of the Kingdom of Denmark was notified of the incident.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-05-27T09:42:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385_hu_da9eda5e08e3620e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385_hu_71a30e5395414a1a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385_hu_724006e3888c17a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/170.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282","search","interrogation"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Danish citizen, was arrested in the Oryol region for two months ","type":"news"}]