In Ivanovo region, a new criminal case for faith and detention

On January 27, 2019, Yevgeny Spirin, a 32-year-old resident of Furmanov (Ivanovo region), was detained by FSB officers. On this day, the FSB conducted searches in the city in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeniy Spirin was brought to the criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) as an accused. Information on the number of detainees and the number of searches is being specified.

It is known that the case was initiated on January 21, 2019 by the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region, A. Dmitriev, allegedly for the resumption and continuation of the illegal activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.

This is the second criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region. The first case in Shuya was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Ivanovo Region against Dmitry Mikhailov, his wife Yelena and 3 other people under Articles 282.2 (2) and 282.3 (1). Dmitry Mikhailov spent 171 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region, then was released on his own recognizance.

Law enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses "do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually."