Illustrative photo
A Cherkessk resident is suspected of extremism for talking about the Bible. Her daughter's drawings were seized as evidence from the believer
Karachay-CherkessiaIn the morning of November 12, 2020, a group of law enforcement officers led by an investigator of the FSB for Karachay-Cherkessia V. Drakin repeated the search of Yelena Menchikova. Dracinom repeated the search of Elena Menchikova. A 56-year-old resident of Cherkessk had her daughter seized her drawings. The woman was asked to sign a not to leave the city.
The reason for the actions of law enforcement officers was a new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, which investigator Drakin initiated against the believer on November 3, 2020. The FSB blames Menchikova for friendly meetings and peaceful conversations about the Bible, interpreting them as "incitement to religious discord," "recruiting conversations" and "exams to join the ranks of a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The first search of Yelena was conducted earlier in the criminal case against a local believer, Albert Batchaev, who was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. According to the indictment, he is guilty of "singing songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and praying to the God of Jehovah. The case of the believer is heard in the Cherkessk City Court.