Photo: search of believers (2016)
In the Murmansk Region, Searches and Arrests of Citizens Believed to Be Jehovah's Witnesses
Murmansk RegionOn the evening of April 18, 2018, three searches were conducted in the homes of local residents in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region). 16 citizens, including minors, were taken for interrogation to the investigative department. They were asked questions about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogations continued until 7 a.m. the next day.
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.
Earlier, on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled to liquidate the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses "Polyarny", along with other 395 registered associations of this religion throughout the country. Thus, the searches were a direct consequence of this decision of the Supreme Court.
Update. Later it became known that a total of searches took place in 6 houses, the last of them ended at 4:15 am. The interrogations of 13 people continued until 6 a.m.