Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

“I was Introduced to Testifying Witnesses as Member of an Extremist Organization.” Search in Birobidzhan Сonducted at Home of Wife of Convicted Jehovah’s Witness

Jewish Autonomous Area

The FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region continues to prosecute families of Jehovah's Witnesses. On April 15, 2026, a search was conducted at the home of Marina Shulyarenko. Her husband, Sergey, a prisoner of conscience, has been behind bars since December 2022.

Early in the morning, as usual, Marina Shulyarenko left home for work. She was unexpectedly stopped by an FSB officer who introduced himself as Denis Sergeyevich Krupetskiy. He showed her a court order authorizing operational‑investigative measures at her home address. After that, a search was carried out, during which law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, personal notes, a Bible, and electronic storage devices.

Marina remembered: "I was introduced to the testifying witnesses as a member of the extremist organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose husband has already been convicted for organizing its activity." Marina and Sergey Shulyarenko have been married since September 2023. Their wedding took place at penal colony No. 8 in the Amur Region, where Sergey remains.

According to Marina, FSB officer Krupetskiy made offensive remarks toward her and stated that she "could say goodbye to her job" and that she would "soon end up in prison." A search was also conducted at Marina's workplace, but without testifying witnesses present.

In Birobidzhan, a town with a population of fewer than 70,000 people, more than 30 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Among them are at least six married couples.

The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan

Case History
In May 2018, a special FSB operation involving 150 officers took place in Birobidzhan under the code name “Judgment Day,” marking the beginning of the prosecution of more than 20 families of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Alam Aliyev, Valeriy Kriger, Sergey Shulyarenko, and Dmitriy Zagulin were among those charged with extremism for holding meetings for worship. They spent more than 5 months in pretrial detention. In December 2022, after more than 2 years of hearings, the court sentenced them to between 3.5 and 7 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal reduced the harshest of these sentences (given to Kriger) by 3 months. Dmitriy Zagulin completed his sentence in the spring of 2026.
Timeline

Persons in case

Aliyev
Alam
Kriger
Valeriy
Shulyarenko
Sergey
Zagulin
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Jewish Autonomous Area
Locality:
Birobidzhan
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, he together with others conducted meetings for worship, which is interpreted as “organising the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the decision of the RF Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11807990001000008
Initiated:
May 14, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-8/2022 (1-65/2021; 1-609/2020)
Court:
Birobidzhanskiy District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region
Judge:
Yana Vladimirova
Case History
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