Photo: Invasion of believers in Tomsk (2018)

Photo: Invasion of believers in Tomsk (2018)

Photo: Invasion of believers in Tomsk (2018)

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Along China's Border, New Criminal Prosecutions for Faith

Amur Region

On March 21, 2019, at least 5 searches were conducted in the homes of local residents believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya (Amur Region). A criminal case has been initiated under the article "organization of the activities of an extremist organization". 42-year-old Konstantin Moiseenko was involved in the case as a suspect, he was taken on his own recognizance.

Shortly before that, on March 17, 2019, searches in the homes of believers took place in Luchegorsk (Primorsky Territory). Local residents Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev were sent to the pre-trial detention center. They were prosecuted under the article for organizing the activities of an extremist organization on the grounds that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation unreasonably immediately banned 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, including a local religious organization in Luchegorsk.

Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya

Case History
In March 2019, V. Obukhov, an investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, opened a criminal case against Konstantin Moiseenko, accusing him of “organizing a meeting of followers … of a religious organization.” A few days later, the believer was searched and placed on recognizance not to leave. The prosecution relied on data obtained by an embedded FSB agent: the woman took notes of worship services. In August 2020, the case was submitted to the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region for consideration by Judge Alexander Kozlov. In October of the same year, searches were carried out in Zeya of believers who were witnesses in the Moiseenko case, and a separate criminal case was initiated against two of them. In July 2021, the court convicted Konstantin Moiseenko. Two months later, the court of appeal upheld it - 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and an additional restriction of liberty for 1 year. In February 2022, the Court of Cassation also upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Moiseyenko
Konstantin

Criminal case

Region:
Amur Region
Locality:
Zeya
Suspected of:
According to the investigation he “organized meetings of followers ... of a religious organization”
Court case number:
11907100001000016
Initiated:
March 11, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of Russia in the Amur Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-11/2021 (1-200/2020)
Court of First Instance:
Zeyskiy District Court of the Amur Region
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Aleksandr Kozlov
Court of Appeal:
Amur Regional Court
Case History
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