Five Vladikavkaz-Based Families of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Raided. Believers Were Released After Long Interrogations

On March 1, 2022, between 7 and 9 a.m. in the capital of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, representatives of the investigating authorities conducted inspections of the dwellings of believers at 5 addresses. Five men were interrogated at the Center for Combating Extremism (CCE).

The investigation suspects the believers of "participation in the banned organization of Jehovah's Witnesses." They seized mobile phones and other electronic devices, storage media and personal records. Interrogations that lasted many hours were conducted by CCE officers Alan Kambolov, Marat Badoyev, Aslan Tavasiyev, Marat Pliyev, and Atsamaz Pliyev. The detainees were asked questions about their religion and the content of their conversations with fellow believers. After interrogation, they were all released.

According to current data, no criminal case has been initiated at the moment. Inspections and interrogations took place as part of the operational-search activities authorized by the judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Semyon Mzokov.