After Yuriy Zalipayev acquittal, law enforcers raided peaceful believers across towns of Kabardino-Balkaria

On November 12, 2020, armed officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee roughly invaded at least six families of believers in the towns of Maiskiy and Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkaria). Among the victims was the family of a believer, Yuriy Zalipaev, who was acquitted by the court only a month ago.

Early in the morning in Tyrnyauz there was a knock at the door of a believing woman diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. Through the door, she was told that they had come to help her fight the virus. When she opened the door, eight security officers entered the apartment. Despite the hostess's bad health, a search was conducted in her apartment to find 'drugs, weapons and prohibited items'. In another apartment, a 61-year-old believer was prevented from approaching her bedridden mother for several hours to give her medicine and food. In another case, a 54-year-old man with a high fever was forced to stand half-naked in a draught facing the wall. Finally, a 15-year-old boy was kept in a separate room with two members of the armed forces at his side.

At the same time, in the town of Maiskiy, Vadim and Mariya Zalipaev woke up from a heavy noise and saw their yard filled with people. Some of them were wearing weapons, camouflage and balaclavas, while others wore black civilian clothes. Among the people in black, Zalipaevs could see Sergey Svetikov, an FSB officer who had been repeatedly found guilty of falsifying operational materials against Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular against their father and father-in-law Yuriy Zalipaev, who had been acquitted a month earlier by a court of first instance. The law enforcers did not explain the purpose of the visit, so the believers did not open the door. Then the law enforcers broke the window and broke the iron entrance door with a sledgehammer. They justified their actions with the words: "We come to you with all our hearts, but you...". For six hours under the leadership of Svetikov and with the active assistance of two witnesses, the operatives were looking for smartphones: they scattered things, turned the bed over, trampled it with dirty shoes. From time to time, they made derogatory remarks about the Zalipayevs. After the search of the spouses, they were taken for questioning to the police station in Maysky, and then to the Investigative Committee of Tyrnyauz, 120 kilometers away from home.

The searches were initiated by Shamil Gyatov from the Investigative Department for Elbrusskiy District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. (The same person, working as deputy head of the Investigative Department in the town of Maysky, previously participated in the initiation of an illegal criminal case against Yuriy Zalipaev). The order for searches in Tyrnyauz was issued by the judge of Elbrusskiy district court Tahir Gergokov at the request of the investigator for especially important cases A. Nashapigov.

A criminal case was opened against the believers under part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The investigator interpreted the peaceful meetings of believers as 'inclination of residents to participate in an extremist organization by providing them with religious literature of extremist character, conversations and beliefs during secret meetings.'

The searches lasted 5-10 hours each. Electronic devices, personal records, postcards, photos and flash drives were seized. After the searches, believers were taken to the police station and then to the Investigative Committee, where they were interrogated by Major Zalim Kenetov. Attempts of the believers to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation caused irritation of the law enforcement officers: 'You learned about Article 51, now I will not be so polite with you.' Some heard mockery and threats to themselves and their loved ones. In addition, the believers were not provided with copies of court orders and protocols of searches and interrogations.

Update. The Zalipaev family spent the whole day in the corridors and offices of law enforcement agencies. Few days later all family members showed signs of coronavirus infection: loss of smell, fever, chest and kidney pain. Doctors refuse to make the diagnosis officially. It is not known whether the organizers of mass events with the number of participants of about 100 people were brought to responsibility for neglecting the anti-quarantine requirements.

In connection with Yuriy Zalipayev's illness, the appeal hearing in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, scheduled for November 27, 2020, did not take place. The hearing was postponed and scheduled for December 11, 2020 10:00.