New criminal cases on Sakhalin. Two more local believers turned out to be "criminals" only because of their faith

On December 18, 2019, it became known about 2 more criminal cases for faith, this time in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Back in the spring, he opened a case against 44-year-old Alexander Kozlitin, and on December 10, 2019, he opened a hunt for 45-year-old Yevgeny Yelin.

The basis for the initiation of these criminal cases, according to D. S. Melnikov, is "active participation in ... the religious group and the activities therein, including religion, religious rites and ceremonies, religious instruction and religious education." Yevgeny Elin is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and Aleksandr Kozlitin is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In fact, believers face real terms only for their religious activities, which were not prohibited by the court.

The first searches of Sakhalin believers took place on January 20, 2019 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Nevelsk and the village of Nogliki. Then, on February 25, under the guise of a "survey of premises", searches were conducted in the Kuril Islands. On October 17, CPE officers invaded the homes of believers in Kholmsk and Chekhov, and on October 24 in Nevelsk.