Violation of the rights of believers in a separate territory in the Donetsk region of Ukraine in 2018

Some cases of violation of the rights of believers that occurred in 2018 are published.

On January 21, 2018 , in Ilovaisk, two men disrupted a worship meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. They knocked down a stand with a microphone, took away a smartphone and a tablet from two believers, and then beat several participants in the meeting, including a woman. The attackers threatened physical violence, said they were authorized to do so by the "central church," and accused Jehovah's Witnesses of "destroying the Orthodox faith." Children witnessed what was happening, they were very frightened. The believers called the police. The DPR security forces who arrived interviewed those present and promised to check whether Jehovah's Witnesses were a banned organization. The believers also tried to submit an application to the military commandant's office, but the document was not accepted there.

On February 22, 2018, in the village of United (Makiivka), a man beat up two women who were talking to people about the Bible. At the same time, the man insulted believers and threatened them with murder. One of the victims was a 60-year-old woman.

On March 19, 2018 , in the village of Bulavinskoye, unknown persons broke the window of the Kingdom Hall, entered and set fire. Several benches were burned, traces of autopsy attempts remained on the metal safe. Burnt matches, the contents of a first-aid kit and household chemicals were scattered throughout the room. Some of the equipment disappeared from the building. The arsonists left a note to the believers: "You have 200,000 rubles and everything will be fine." Thefts have already been committed in this building - in October 2017. Then the DPR police refused to initiate a criminal case.

On April 12, 2018, in the village of Nizhnyaya Krynka, the DPR security forces came to the home of a 61-year-old local resident, Olga A. (not her real name). One of the employees hit an elderly woman in the kidney area. They took her phone, keys to the apartment and took her away for interrogation to the local police station. At the police station, the woman was insulted and beaten, and a gas mask was put on her to get a confession of theft (allegedly during a conversation on biblical topics, Olga stole money from one of the local residents). Olga was kept in the department for a day without food. The woman was released only after her acquaintances saw her through the window of the police station. At home, Olga discovered the loss of several tens of thousands of rubles that her relatives had previously sent her. According to those who have known Olga for many years, she has an impeccable reputation. Olga herself claims that she never talked with the allegedly robbed woman.

On September 5, 2018, in Shakhtersk, against the backdrop of a trial to ban the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, the DPR security forces summoned one of the believers for questioning about religious activities. Dmitry B. was summoned by phone, the caller introduced himself as a police officer and threatened with riot police in case of refusal to voluntarily appear. Dmitry B. arrived at the police station. He refused to talk about his religious activities, referring to Article 44 of the DPR Constitution, which allows him not to testify against himself. A high-ranking police officer tried to search him and convince him that he was misinterpreting the provisions of the Constitution. Dmitriy was kept in the police station for about 3 hours, after which he was released.

On December 19, 2018, in Snezhnoye, a group of 10 people, including presumably administrative staff, entered the Kingdom Hall and sealed all doors and windows."