Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk

Armed law enforcement officers detained 18 people who were resting on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Neftekumsk. More than half of the detainees are children, the elderly and the disabled. The detainees were taken for interrogation - they were asked about their attitude to religion. The children were interrogated despite the protests of their parents.

Konstantin Samsonov's house was searched, two tablets and a laptop were seized from him. Later, the equipment was returned to the owner.

Interrogation of Konstantin Samsonov.

Local believers began to notice themselves being followed. Police officers came to one of them and inquired about family members.

Residents of Neftekumsk have repeatedly faced surveillance. Unknown persons found out information about believers at their place of work, from their children and other relatives.

Senior investigator of the FSB Directorate of the Stavropol Territory Astakhov A.V. decided to initiate a criminal case on extremist activity in Neftekumsk.

The judge of the Neftekumsky District Court of the Stavropol Territory, A.N. Khodus, decided to carry out operational-search measures in relation to a local resident Alexander Akopov.

In Neftekumsk and the village of Achikulak, a series of searches were carried out in apartments, private houses and non-residential premises of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Immediately after the searches, two local residents, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov, were detained.

The Neftekumskiy District Court decided to arrest the detainees Samsonov and Sultanov for two months.

Search of the city of Blagodarny (Stavropol region). A resident of Neftekumsk, Aleksandr Akopov, was detained.

The court decided to keep Akopov in custody until February 6, 2019.

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.

The court decided to conduct several more searches in Neftekumsk.

The Leninskiy District Court extended the detention of Samsonov, Sultanov and Akopov.

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.

The court again extended the detention of Aleksandr Akopov. This time until June 7, 2019.

The court again extended the detention of Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov until June 7, 2019.

In the village of Velichayevskoye, Levokumsky district, a search is being conducted at the home of a local resident, Anna Abdulkadyrova, which is carried out by investigator A. Astakhov, police lieutenant V. Vatsenko and detective of the FSB department in Neftekumsk A. Prokhorov. Personal notes, including a will, and a program of worship for 1998 were seized.

In Nevinnomyssk, FSB officers summon a local resident, Yuri Savitsky, for questioning. In the cities of Neftekumsk and Blagodarny, as well as in the villages of Urozhaynoye and Velichayevskoye, searches have recently been carried out in the homes of believers, followed by interrogations.

Judge of the Neftekumskiy District Court Oleg Kuts releases Aleksandr Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov from custody right in the courtroom. They were assigned a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions (a ban on using mail, telephone and the Internet, communicating with witnesses in the case and changing their place of residence). By that time, Sultanov and Samsonov had spent 362 days in the pre-trial detention center, and Akopov had spent 359 days.

In Neftekumsk and the village of Zaterechnoye, searches are being conducted in the homes of nine local residents. Security forces are looking for evidence of extremism and seizing Bibles. After the searches, six are taken away for interrogation.

Another search in Zaterechne. It becomes a continuation of the raid launched the day before.

Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Stavropol Territory, Major of Justice Astakhov A.V. initiates a new criminal case against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Alexei Shcherbich. All of them are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.3 (collection of funds for the needs of an extremist organization).

According to the ruling, the defendants "were aware that the money would be intended as to support the activities of an extremist organization."

This new criminal case has been separated into a separate proceeding.

Senior investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Stavropol Territory, Major of Justice A. Astakhov attracts Konstantin Samsonov as a defendant in committing crimes under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This means that the criminal case initiated against the believers on June 5 has been joined in the proceedings with this criminal case.

According to the investigation, "using his authority as a spiritual leader of the followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses," Samsonov in 2017-2018 "organized collective worship services consisting of singing songs, praying to God and studying articles of religious content."

From the decision it becomes known that the funds that law enforcement officers seized on December 9, 2018, according to the investigation, were intended for the needs of an allegedly extremist organization.

Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov receive similar orders to prosecute. They are also accused of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Akopov, Samsonov and Sultanov, "acting according to criminal roles ... managed the property of the banned LRO ... held meetings... organized a fundraiser to finance the LRO."

The defendants were notified of the preliminary hearing in the case in the Neftekumsky District Court of the Stavropol Territory, which will be held on February 5 at 10:30.

Judge Maksim Mazikin proceeds to the consideration of the case. He granted the lawyer's request for time to familiarize himself with the case file. The wives of Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov, as well as the mother of Alexander Akopov, are present at the hearing.

Akopov and Sultanov still have health problems after their release from the pre-trial detention center. In addition, Sultanov's mother died, and his wife needs treatment. All three believers have had problems with their work and are experiencing financial difficulties due to their prolonged arrest. However, shortly before the start of the hearings, Sultanov was taken to his former place of work.

About 15 friends and acquaintances from Neftekumsk and Stavropol come to the courthouse to support the believers. Due to epidemiological restrictions, they do not enter the courtroom.

The court satisfies two of the five petitions of the defendants and their lawyers - it allows Alexander Akopov an online consultation with a doctor and allows the defendants to express their attitude to the charges.

Relatives of the defendants are present in the courtroom. Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them has been convicted four times. A number of witnesses state that they do not know the defendants.

The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. One of them cannot explain anything about the defendants, as he has never met them. Another witness, a police officer, said that prior to the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities, he, as a district police officer, received complaints from residents whose homes were visited by Jehovah's Witnesses to talk about the Bible. He explains that no action was required on these complaints, since it is the right of citizens to come to others. According to the policeman, there were no complaints or reports of disorderly disturbances from neighbors at the Kingdom Hall (the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses).

Another witness is a woman convicted of theft twice. According to her, her ex-husband, whom she divorced in 2011 and who has already died, once came to religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and representatives of other faiths, and, according to her, from time to time communicated with Sultanov. The woman does not hide her negative attitude towards believers, is confused about the dates and, not being an eyewitness, testifies allegedly on the basis of the words of her deceased husband and other, unnamed persons.

The court shall attach to the case the sentences handed down to two previously convicted prosecution witnesses on several occasions.

Several other witnesses are being questioned, one of whom is not familiar with the defendants and cannot explain anything on the merits of the case.

Another prosecution witness speaks, who is not familiar with the defendants and cannot explain anything specific about the circumstances of the case. After that, the lawyer asks the court to remind the prosecutor of the need to present only the evidence that is relevant to the case.

A witness is being questioned who is a police officer at the administrative station where the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses was located. He, like his colleague, informs the court that there have been no complaints of violation of order at the address of the worship building.

An online interrogation of the secret witness "Agafonov" is underway. The defense's motion to disclose the identity of the witness was denied.

The Witness reports that he has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for several years and talks about his understanding of the beliefs and lifestyle of the followers of this denomination, as well as what he disagrees with them. For example, he blames Jehovah's Witnesses for disapproving of divorce, not participating in hostilities, and not engaging in combat sports. The witness admits that none of the defendants threatened or used violence against him or any other believers. From the testimony of the witness "Agafonov" it becomes clear that he confuses legal terms and canonical concepts.

At the end of the interrogation, Konstantin Samsonov addresses the witness, calling him Lyudmila Mikhailovna. It becomes obvious that the defendants are familiar with the witness. Nevertheless, the prosecutor and the judge require the use of a pseudonym.

The lawyer asks the defendants questions about their attitude to the testimony of a secret witness. Konstantin Samsonov points out that the witness has incorrect ideas about the structure of the Christian congregation and legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and therefore makes erroneous conclusions.

A woman who does not know any of the defendants is being questioned as a witness. Her words significantly contradict the testimony she gave during the preliminary investigation.

Another witness explains that he knows the defendants, is friends with them, does not profess any religion himself, but in the past he read the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. He explains that he has never heard calls for violence or refusal to communicate with relatives. I didn't feel discrimination myself. According to him, believers follow the commandment to love one another.

The court continues to consider the materials of the case. Among other things, the description of the videos on the importance of mutual respect for spouses with different religious views is read out.

Konstantin Samsonov submits a petition for the court to pay attention to the discrepancy between the wording from the indictment and the protocols read out. For example, the indictment mentions "Holy Scripture. New World Translation" of the 2014 edition, included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. However, it was not confiscated from any of the believers.

The prosecutor reads out the minutes of viewing records of worship meetings, which include prayers to Jehovah God and discussions of Bible verses.

Konstantin Samsonov is represented by a new lawyer by appointment, who entered the case due to the illness of the previous one. The believer applies for a five-week period for the lawyer to familiarize himself with the case materials. The judge allocates only a week for this, although the case has almost 30 volumes.

Konstantin Samsonov files a protest against the reading of the materials of operational-search activities, since they indicate financial transactions that were not confirmed by the bank.

Samsonov draws the court's attention to the fact that the disc being viewed does not have the number indicated in the protocol, and the dates do not match. He adds that religious expertise found no signs of extremism on these discs.

Aleksandr Akopov explains to the court that worship meetings are not meetings of members of the LRO.

The court hearing was postponed due to the hospitalization of Aleksandr Akopov. The judge allows him to call his mother, and also extends his stay in the hospital.

19 people come to support the believers, but they are not allowed into the courtroom.

A petition is filed to exclude the search protocol, which was carried out at night, which is a violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.

3 discs are considered; They do not coincide with the description made when they were received: different serial numbers, inscriptions and their color.

Samsonov draws the court's attention to the discrepancy between what is written in the indictment and in the inspection reports with what is actually in the material evidence. He files a motion to exclude evidence.

Shamil Sultanov asks the court to consider the documents contained in his laptop. Contrary to what is stated in the inspection report, it becomes obvious that the files do not contain anything prohibited.

During the hearing, one of the defendants becomes ill, an ambulance is called for him. The referee adjourns.

The judge does not allow the defendant to go to see a cardiologist. An ambulance is called a second time.

The characteristics of the defendants are read out. All previously filed and postponed motions by the defense, including inconsistencies and inconsistencies in the case materials, are rejected. The judicial investigation is coming to an end.

About 30 people come to support the believers. The judge rejects the petition to change the measure of restraint for the believer.

The prosecutor asks for harsh sentences: 9 years of real imprisonment for Konstantin Samsonov and 8 years of imprisonment for Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov.

Judge Maksim Mazikin sentences Konstantin Samsonov to 7.5 years in prison, he is taken into custody right in the courtroom. Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov each receive a fine of 500,000 rubles, which has already been paid off on account of the time served in the pre-trial detention center. They choose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.

It becomes known that Konstantin Samsonov is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Territory.

52-year-old Jehovah's Witness Aleksey Shcherbich is detained. The next day, he reports that he is in the FSB department in Stavropol.

It 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.

You 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"