For the first time a young woman was sent to prison for her Christian faith

On July 6, 2018, Nina Iordan, judge of the Azov District Court of the Omsk Region, sent a young woman, Anastasia Polyakova, as well as her husband, 46-year-old Sergey Polyakov, to the Omsk pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The couple ended up in prison because they are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Both of them are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). They have been prosecuted.

Early in the morning of July 4, 2018, Sergey and Anastasia, while at their home in Omsk, were awakened by an invasion of their home by law enforcement officers. The door to their apartment was broken into. In fact, they were detained and held in custody for more than 2 days, until the court chose a measure of restraint.

The investigation team is headed by Major of Justice Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov District Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region. Law enforcers in different regions of Russia mistakenly accept the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Presidential Council for Human Rights, have already drawn attention to this problem.

Anastasia and Sergey can receive letters of support. Letters in foreign languages are not allowed to enter the pre-trial detention center, with the exception of children's drawings. Address for letters:

Sergey Valerievich Polyakov, born in 1972, FKU "Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region", 86 Ordzhonikidze St., Omsk, 644007. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system. (Criminal prosecution topics should not be discussed in the letters.)

Anastasia Andreevna Polyakova, born in 1984, FKU "Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region", 86 Ordzhonikidze St., Omsk, 644007. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system. (Criminal prosecution topics should not be discussed in the letters.)