The case of Ortanova and others in Mayskoye

Ruslan Atakayev, judge of the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, authorizes searches in the homes of Kirill Gushchin and his wife, as well as 60-year-old Zareta Ortanova, 50-year-old Aksana Dominova, 60-year-old Svetlana Dubovkina and 58-year-old Olga Shulgina.

In particular, the search warrant for Zareta Ortanova's house states that she is a Jehovah's Witness and "together with other persons organizes the functioning of this cell, including by holding appropriate meetings and conducting propaganda work among the population, inducing people to participate [in] the illegal activities of the organization."

As part of the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin, a series of searches are underway. Early in the morning, security forces break into the houses of believers. They plant literature from the list of extremist materials, after which they "discover" and seize it. Law enforcement officers also confiscate electronic devices, Bibles and personal records from believers.

Aksana Dominova's security forces are throwing literature into a vacuum cleaner box. The authorities do not allow her and her husband to get dressed, so they are forced to wear their underwear during the search.

Olga Shulgina's house is home to her 85-year-old mother and 14-year-old granddaughter. The security forces plant banned literature in the children's room.

After the searches, Kirill Gushchin and his wife Svetlana, as well as Zareta Ortanova, Aksana Dominova, Svetlana Dubovkina and Olga Shulgina are taken to the police and the Investigative Committee for interrogation. During interrogations, all believers use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against themselves.

Reporting on the details of the incident, the women say that they experienced severe stress. In addition, brute physical force was used against their family members — the security forces wrung their hands and handcuffed them. "I was scared... I lost heart and it began to seem to me that what was happening was not real and was not happening to me. There was an incomprehensible noise in my head, my heart beating as if it wanted to jump out. At that moment, I thought only about how not to lose consciousness, so that people who came would not take advantage of this again and throw something, "recalls one of the believers. the investigator opened another criminal case under Article 308 of the Criminal Code against another believer, A. Kechkina, interpreting the right not to testify against herself during interrogations as a refusal to testify.

Investigator A. Yakhtanigov separates from the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin a new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against his wife, Svetlana Gushchina, as well as Zareta Ortanova, Svetlana Dubovkina, Olga Shulgina and Aksana Dominova. The accusation is based on the testimony of a secret witness "Filatova", who secretly made an audio recording of the services.

The investigator also singles out materials under Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the fact of refusing to testify and attracts 7 women and 2 men from Mayskoye under it - this is how he interprets the fact that they used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Searches are being conducted in at least three homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye. The security forces seize the personal belongings of believers, some are taken to the police station, and then released.

Armed officers of the FSB and the Center for Countering Extremism, accompanied by riot police, witnesses and a forensic expert, have been searching the houses, garages and cars of believers since 7 a.m. One of the searches is attended by FSB investigator Sergei Svetikov, in whose actions against believers the Military Investigation Department for the Southern Military District had previously found signs of abuse of office. The search was authorized by the judge of the Maisky District Court, Ella Radikovna Khalishkhova, by a decree dated June 25, 2021. According to eyewitnesses of the search, it follows from the document presented by the security forces that special measures are being carried out in order to find dirt on the accused in the case of Zareta Ortanova.

Searches last from 3 to 5 hours. Law enforcement officers seize Bibles translated by Macarius and Pavsky, the book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko "About People Who Never Part with the Bible", bank cards, electronic devices and other media, including computers. On one of them, the believer has working documentation, without which he cannot fulfill his obligations to customers.

One of the FSB officers constantly asks provocative questions on religious topics. The 12-year-old daughter of one of the believers' families is in fear, because during the search the witness asks: "Are you ready for new parents?"

In the May police station, during a conversation, one of the detainees has a spasm of the vocal cords, and he talks to the investigator in a hoarse voice. Major Svetikov threatens to imprison the believer "for clowning", which he allegedly arranged. After several hours in police custody, the believers were released home, warned to wait for a summons to the Investigative Committee for further interrogation by investigator A. M. Yakhtanigov.