Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Mass Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Kuban. At Least One Believer Was Sent to Jail

Krasnodar Territory

On Sunday morning, 13 February 2022, at least 25 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were raided in the villages of Vyselki and Berezanskaya in Krasnodar Territory. Another search took place in Novorossiysk. According to preliminary information, a criminal case was opened for belief in God against three men — Valeriy Vichkayev, Vitaliy Ushakov and Yevgeniy Bochko.

Ushakov, 41, was placed in the detention center in the town of Korenovsk after interrogation. In the coming days, the court will decide on his measure of restraint. The 46-year-old Bochkov was also interrogated in Korenovsk, but by the evening he was released home. Law enforcement officers did not find Valeriy Vichkayev at home, broke down the front door and conducted a search without the owners being present. Law enforcement officers, some of whom were armed with submachine guns, did not let Vichkaev's mother-in-law and the youngest daughter into the house without any explanation. The daughter was sick after spending several hours in the street.

Another peaceful believer allegedly became a suspect. He was interrogated, but, due to his disability, was not taken away from Vyselki village and was released on recognizance not to leave.

Update.

On February 15, 2022, the court chose a measure of restraint for Vitaliy Ushakov in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. Three days later, his wife was searched again. On February 21, the believer is planned to be transferred to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Krasnodar.

Aleksey Shubnikov, Valeriy Vichkayev and Yevgeniy Bochko were given a ban on certain actions: believers are not allowed to use the telephone, the Internet, leave their area of residence, communicate with defendants in a criminal case and, in general, with Jehovah's Witnesses.

According to updated data, on February 13, 2022, at least 31 searches were carried out in the Kuban. In addition to the villages of Vyselki and Berezanskaya, raids took place in the villages of Buzinovskaya, Novodonetskaya, Zhuravskaya, the village of Gazyr, the village of Zarya, and the Beysuzhek the Second farm, including 75-year-old and 81-year-old believers. In total, the searches affected at least 51 people, including those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. In one case, an elderly woman, about 85 years of age, was subjected to a three-hour search. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records were confiscated from believers.

The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki

Case History
In February 2022, more than 30 searches took place in the Kuban. Five believers from the village of Vyselki — Vitaliy Ushakov, Yevgeny Bochko, Valery Vechkaev, pensioner Vladimir Kolesnikov and disabled person of group I Alexei Shubnikov, confined to a wheelchair from his youth — became defendants in a criminal case. The Investigative Committee accused the believers of organizing the activities of an extremist community. In reality, the believers participated in peaceful worship services that were not prohibited by law. Ushakov was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost 7 months, after which he was placed under house arrest for 1 month, and then under a ban on certain actions. Bochko, Vechkayev, Kolesnikov and Shubnikov were banned from certain actions. In June 2023, the case went to the district court.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Settlements
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, "they took active organizational actions aimed at continuing ... Activities... organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Vyselki, expressed in the convening, opening and closing of meetings, the organization of religious speeches and worship ... coordination of the course of meetings, suggestions of topics for discussion, and the implementation of other preaching activities.
Court case number:
12202030079000010
Initiated:
February 13, 2022
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-9/2024 (1-96/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд Краснодарского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Александр Кальчевский
Case History

The case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki

Case History
n May 2023, Lyudmila Zinina became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism just because she read the Bible with friends. She and her daughter were searched back in February 2022. The investigator of the Investigative Committee took a written undertaking not to leave from the elderly woman. At the end of 2023, the case went to court.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Settlements
Suspected of:
"I took a direct part in religious teaching and sermons ... during which... conducted and listened to lectures based on religious literature" (from the decision on the election of a measure of restraint)
Court case number:
12302030079000039
Initiated:
May 23, 2023
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-47/2024 (1-180/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд Краснодарского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Лидия Коба
Case History

Case of Spirichev in Vyselki

Case History
In May 2023, the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory initiated a criminal case against Viktor Spirichev, a believer from the village of Vyselki. The year before, massive searches took place in the region, affecting at least 51 people. Victor was accused of participating in organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and his accounts were blocked. After interrogation, the believer was released under a recognizance agreement. In December 2023, the case went to the district court.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Settlements
Court case number:
12302030079000041
Initiated:
May 23, 2023
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-49/2024
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Руслан Теплухин
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд Краснодарского края
Case History

Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki

Case History
In February 2022, a wave of searches took place in the Krasnodar Territory, affecting at least 51 people. Among them was a believer from the village of Vyselki, Yelena Rumyantseva, and her daughter Vasilina Penskaya. In June 2023, a criminal case under an extremist article was opened by the Investigative Committee against Rumyantseva. The investigation considered it a crime to “participate in religious teaching and sermons … conversations and religious discussions.” Six months later, the case was sent to court. In June 2024, the case was transferred to another judge, in connection with which a new trial began.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Vyselki
Suspected of:
"I took a direct part in religious teaching and sermons ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants, participated in the discussion of the "Holy Scriptures" (the Bible) ... read religious books aloud to other participants" (from the decision to prosecute as an accused)
Court case number:
12302030079000045
Initiated:
June 15, 2023
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-51/2024 (1-184/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Елизавета Проскурякова
Case History

The case of Penskaya in Vyselki

Case History
In February 2022, Vasilina Penskaya's house in the village of Berezanskaya, as well as her mother Yelena Rumyantseva in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, was searched. A year and 4 months later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Vasilina for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer, as well as her husband Dmitriy, were interrogated, and the woman signed a recognizance agreement. Her bank accounts were blocked. In December 2023, Vasilina's case went to court. The case includes the testimony of a secret witness who collaborated with the FSB by making covert audio and video recordings of worship services.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Settlements
Court case number:
12302030079000038
Initiated:
May 23, 2023
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-52/2024 (1-185/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд Краснодарского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Роман Теплухин
Case History

Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki

Case History
In February 2022, mass searches took place in the village of Vyselki. Among those to whom law enforcement officers came was Vladimir Lepskiy. Two years later, he became a defendant in a criminal case on charges of extremism. The case went to court in October 2024.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Vyselki
Court case number:
12402030079000027
Initiated:
March 28, 2024
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд Краснодарского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Елизавета Проскурякова
Case History

The case of Ushakova in Vyselki

Case History
Irina Ushakova from the village of Vyselki became a defendant in the criminal case two years after the arrest of her husband, Vitaliy. The spouses' house was searched twice in one week. In February 2024, the Investigative Committee accused Irina of "participating in religious sermons." They took from her a written undertaking not to leave. In October the case went to court.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Vyselki
Suspected of:
"She was directly involved in religious sermons ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants, participated in discussions of the content of the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the so-called "Holy Scripture" (Bible)... read aloud to other participants the religious books "Jehovah's Witnesses", emphasizing that these books contain correct knowledge about God" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)
Court case number:
12402030079000008
Initiated:
February 15, 2024
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-174/2024
Court of First Instance:
Выселковский районный суд Краснодарского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Лидия Коба
Case History
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