Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Raids and Criminal Cases for Faith in the Tula Region. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Gripped Another Region of Russia

Tula Region

On April 13, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted searches at 17 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireevsk (Tula Region). Gurami Lobadze, 58, was placed under house arrest and a case was initiated against him for his faith under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity).

According to preliminary data, cases have also been initiated against three other believers - 35-year-old Yevgeniy Godunov, 39-year-old Angela Putivskaya and 42-year-old Yuliya Popkova. All three are placed in the temporary detention facility.

Update. On April 14, 2021, the court ruled to send Yuliya Popkova and Angela Putivskaya to a pre-trial detention center # 1 located at ul. Maurice Toreza, 11 B, Tula, Tula region, Russia, 300012. They are deprived of their liberty at least until May 15, 2021, unless the appeal court decides to release them earlier. On April 16, the Central District Court of Tula ruled to place Yevgeniy Godunov into the same pre-trial detention center. He will spend 1 month and 11 days in custody.

Most of the rest of the believers were released after the interrogation. They are witnesses in criminal cases against the above-named four accused. It is reported that during the searches the FSB officers behaved correctly and tactfully.

Also, on April 13, searches were carried out for the first time against law-abiding believers in the Yaroslavl Region. During this day, the number of regions that launched the persecution of citizens for believing in Jehovah God increased by 2 and reached 64.

The case of Godunov and Others in Tula

Case History
In April 2021, security forces searched 17 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tula and Kireevsk. In March of the same year, the FSB opened a criminal case against Gurami Labadze, Yevgeny Godunov, Angela Putivskaya and Yulia Popkova against each on charges of extremism. The investigation considered it a crime to “organize religious speeches” and “carry out preaching activities.” After searches and interrogations, Gurami was placed under house arrest, and Angela, Yulia and Yevgeniy were placed in a pre-trial detention center. A month later, they were also placed under house arrest. Later, all were replaced by a measure of restraint on their own recognizance. The case went to court in April 2023, and in November the court handed down a sentence: Godunov and Labadze - 6 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment, Putivskaya and Popkova - 2 years and 6 months of probation.
Timeline

Persons in case

Godunov
Yevgeniy
Labadze
Gurami
Popkova
Yuliya
Putivskaya
Anzhela

Criminal case

Region:
Tula Region
Locality:
Tula
Suspected of:
"took active organizational actions ... expressed in the organization of religious demonstrations ... and the implementation of preaching" (from the decision to initiate criminal proceedings)
Court case number:
12107700001370018
Initiated:
March 25, 2021
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
SO FSB in the Tula region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-142/2023
Court of First Instance:
Пролетарский районный суд г. Тулы
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Нина Панарина
Case History