The Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol opens a criminal case against 52-year-old Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Chertov. He is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Officers of the regional directorates of the FSB of Russia and the Center for Counteracting Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, supported by armed riot police, are conducting searches in the homes of several families of believers. Vladimir Chertov is detained and charged.
The court imposes a ban on certain actions on Vladimir Chertov as a preventive measure.
In Alushta, as part of the criminal case against Vladimir Chertov, at least 9 searches are being carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses and persons who do not profess this religion. During searches, law enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices from believers. Everyone is interrogated at their place of residence. Several citizens become ill, the staff are forced to call an ambulance for them.
One of the believers, a man with severe chronic illnesses, is knocked down by law enforcement officers and pressed to the floor. His blood pressure rises.
During the search, the elderly woman's pulse increases to 170 beats per minute, she is taken to the hospital.
The security forces come to search the office of Jehovah's Witness. They seize all electronic devices, hard drives and flash drives from the man. The believer is taken for interrogation to the local FSB department.
The security forces threaten the believer to keep him in custody until he agrees to cooperate. The man becomes ill, an ambulance is called for him and subsequently hospitalized.