Photo: invasion of believers in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug in 2019 (archival photo)

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Mass Detentions in Kazan: Department for Combating Organized Crime Finds Out Why People Aged 9 to 80 Read the Bible

Tatarstan

On the morning of January 19, 2020, law enforcement officers detained about 15 believers in Kazan, including two women over the age of 80 and two children. All of them were interrogated under psychological pressure about who was forcing them to read the Bible. Some believers were searched.

At about 11 a.m. on January 19, three investigators, accompanied by six masked riot policemen, entered Tatiana Obizhestvit's apartment. At this time, Tatiana had guests. About 15 people, including children aged 9 and 12, were taken to the local department for combating organized crime at 3 Karl Fuchs Street. During the interrogation, the investigators did their best to find out what the believers were doing in a private apartment, which of them was the "senior" and who made them discuss spiritual topics with each other. Intimidation techniques were used. One of the believers was threatened with initiation of a criminal case for "involving children in illegal activities."

Armen Hayriyan and Lyudmila Samoilova were searched. Spouses Andrey and Leysan Bochkarev were interrogated until late in the evening. Copies of protocols and other documents were not provided to anyone. The Bochkarevs, as well as 51-year-old Tatyana Obizhestvit, have been in a temporary detention center for the second day.

Other details of the incident are being clarified.

The case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan

Case History
In January 2020, Tatyana Obizhestvit hosted guests at her home. Suddenly, the security forces rushed in. After a search of her home, 15 people were taken away for interrogation. Among them were two women over 80 years old and two children. A criminal case was opened against Tatyana, as well as Andrey and Leysan Bochkarevs under an extremist article only because they believe in Jehovah God. The believers spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, after which the women were placed under house arrest, and the man was placed in a pre-trial detention center. In April 2021, the case went to court. Two secret witnesses were present in the materials: one posing as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the other claiming that he had been “offered to join an organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” In February 2023, Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva received suspended sentences of 2 and 2.5 years, respectively. Andrey Bochkarev was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month of actual imprisonment, but was released in the courtroom, since he actually served this term in a pre-trial detention center. The appeal upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Tatarstan
Locality:
Kazan
Court case number:
11901920041000244
Initiated:
December 27, 2019
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
SCh Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Tatarstan
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-23/2023 (1-46/2022; 1-280/2021)
Court of First Instance:
Вахитовский районный суд г. Казани
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Юрий Арсенюк
Case History