Case of Kozak in Surgut

Case History

In February 2019, after a series of searches in Surgut, accompanied by torture and beatings, Yevgeny Kozak became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith. He was accused of participating in and financing the activities of an extremist organization. Later, as part of the criminal case, law enforcement officers conducted several more searches in the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In July 2023, Valentina Alekseyeva and Kirill Severinchik were also prosecuted under the article on participation in the activities of a banned community, and Yuriy and Roman Khorikov were accused of organizing its activities and financing.
Timeline

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    Case initiated Art. 282.2 (1) Art. 282.2 (2)

    Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Stepan Tkach initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Yevgeny Kozak, Artur Severinchik, Sergey Loginov, Evgeny Fedin, Yevgeny Kayryak, Vyacheslav Boronos, Artem Kim, Alexey Plekhov, Savely Gargalyk, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Trifonov, Viktor Fefilov, Timofey Zhukov, Leonid Rysikov, Igor Kobotov, Grigory Ozhiganov, Pavel Romashov, Vasily Burenescu, Viola Shepel, Ilhom Aminzhanov, Igor Petrov.

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    The case is accepted for proceedings by the investigator for especially important cases of the 1st Investigative Directorate of the 4th Investigative Directorate in Yekaterinburg of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Guselnikov.

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    Search Interrogation

    As part of the case of Yevgeny Kozak, the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg ordered a search of a family of Jehovah's Witnesses in Maikop (Republic of Adygea). Then the spouses are taken for interrogation and released in the evening.

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    Search

    The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg, Irina Tsybulskaya, makes a decision to allow a search in the home of 65-year-old Valentina Alekseeva.

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    Search

    Valentina Alekseeva and other believers are being searched.

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    Art. 282.2 (1) Art. 282.2 (2) Art. 282.3 (1)

    D. N. Rumyantsev, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the First Investigation Department of the Fourth Investigation Department (located in the city of Yekaterinburg), makes decisions on the involvement of Valentina Alekseeva, Yuri and Roman Khorikov as accused. The rulings state that believers, "acting on the grounds of religious hatred, intolerance and discord, with the aim of promoting the exclusivity, superiority of the followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and the inferiority of other citizens on the basis of their attitude to religion, made a joint and agreed decision to commit ... the activities of an extremist organization."

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    Art. 282.2 (2)

    Investigator Rumyantsev prosecutes Kirill Severinchik as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

    According to the investigation, Kirill, together with his fellow believers, "with the help of verbal forms of manipulation of consciousness" of a certain "Mironov A.E.", tried to attract him to their faith. By "verbal manipulation," the investigator means "prayer reading," "Bible study," and "rhetorical questions."

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