Mass Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Novosibirsk

On November 8, 2018, searches were conducted in Novosibirsk in at least 10 homes of civilians who were suspected of jointly practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 64-year-old Yuriy Prokopievich Savelyev was arrested. By order of Maria Shishkina, judge of the Central District Court of Novosibirsk, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until January 7, 2019.

Operational activities were led by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Novosibirsk Region. According to eyewitnesses, during the invasion of one of the apartments, where guests gathered at that time, law enforcement officers pointed the muzzle of a machine gun at civilians. In total, at least 19 people, including a young girl, suffered morally from the actions of law enforcement officers. During the searches, personal belongings were seized from citizens.

The events in Novosibirsk were 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. 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.