Photo: Dyurtyulinsky District Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Photo: Dyurtyulinsky District Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Photo: Dyurtyulinsky District Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

In Bashkiria, a new criminal case for faith and arrest

Bashkortostan

On October 18, 2018, in the city of Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan), at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev was arrested, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until November 20, 2018.

The searches began early in the morning and lasted for 2-3 hours. All electronic devices, phones, computers, SIM cards, money, bank cards, passports, postcards, photographs, personal letters were seized. 15 people, including a minor girl, were taken to the investigative committee for questioning. After interrogation, most were released.

It is not yet known what exactly Anton Lemeshev and other citizens are suspected of.

Earlier, on April 10, 2018, after mass searches in the capital of Bashkortostan, 32-year-old Anatoly Vilitkevich was arrested. He is charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization) due to the fact that he allegedly professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. After 2 days, he was sent to Ufa pre-trial detention center No. 1, where he spent 71 days. He is currently under house arrest. His arrest was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.

Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli

Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Bashkortostan
Locality:
Dyurtyuli
Suspected of:
continuing the illegal activity of the banned organisation (Local Religious Organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses Ufa), which includes convening meetings, organising the recruitment of new members (from the ruling to open a criminal case).
Court case number:
11802800022000071
Initiated:
September 20, 2018
Current case stage:
preliminary investigation
Investigating:
Dyurtyulinskiy Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Bashkortostan
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Case History
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