Dmitry Martyshenko: “Now the case is small. Find the customer "

In May, the OVD-Info wrote about the case against Dmitry Martyshenko, the Protestant pastor and the opposition video bloger from Kaluga, who was accused of slander, and drugs were found in his temple. The case of slander was opened because of the video in which Martyshenko accused the governor of the Kaluga region Anatoly Artamonov of a favorable attitude towards local nationalists, according to the pastor, close to the “right sector”. In November, the case of slander fell apart, but he was never accused of storing drugs. Martyshenko talked about how events developed, and about his vision of the situation.

“On May 5, 2014, a criminal case was instituted against me in connection with the video“ Artamonov - patron or muddler ”I posted on the Internet. The case was initiated on the basis of a statement by five citizens who considered that published material infringes on their honor, dignity and business reputation and extremist statements who saw in the video.

The content of the video was aimed at attracting public attention to the actions of the Kaluga group, including applicants in the case, reminiscent of a number of signs of the action of the Ukrainian nationalist organization “Right Sector”. The fact that some of the heroes of the video on various protests that took place in Kaluga and Moscow in 2013-2014 expressed active support to Governor Artamonov caused particular alarm. One of them, the leader of the unregistered political party “Right for European Development”, even went to Kyiv to participate in the Maidan, regularly published reports on his stay there and even called on the Russians to support the actions of the “Right Sector”.

On May 5, I had searches in my apartment and in the Lutheran church, the pastor of which I am, during which the police seized all the information carriers-from computers to USB drives. The basis is the need to study the information contained for the presence of extremist materials in it. During the search in the temple, where there was nothing to look for from this point of view, since there is not a single computer there, in a refectory chair, the investigators found a plastic box, in which, as it turned out, there was a bag of drugs.

Another criminal case was opened on this fact.

The press service of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs hastened to inform the citizens about my detention by police. Which was not true. Then it was stated that I had disappeared and put on the wanted list. Which was also a lie. However, negative information about me as a defendant in two criminal cases was immediately replicated by the newspapers “Vesti”, “Kaluga Week”, was in the tape of federal information agencies and in Novaya Gazeta.

For six months, law enforcement agencies conducted all kinds of inspections, examinations, interrogations. Six months of a hassle for me, my relatives and friends. Six months of expenses for lawyers, independent examinations, the acquisition of office equipment to replace the searches seized during the searches. Six months of dirt in the budget media.

And on November 7, 2014, it all ended. With a letter for No. 4/9779 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Kaluga Region, it informed the termination of criminal prosecution against me and my right to rehabilitation. Including in the media, which, at my request, are required to make a message about this.

Even before the initiation of a criminal case, various signals came to me that a certain provocation was being prepared against me. And not only signals. More than once in the words of certain officials there were “friendly warnings” to me in connection with the active civil position I occupied. In relation to this kind of “warnings” by the Governor of the Kaluga Region, Anatoly Artamonov, I even sent a statement to the police. The audit on the application did not reveal evil intent in the actions and words of citizen Artamonov.

However, the criminal case under a completely far-fetched pretext was nevertheless opened. I can’t say with complete confidence whether there was a personal instruction of the governor or his retreating subordinates overdo it.

We must pay tribute to law enforcement officers who were able to figure out the situation and make the only right decision, despite the possible discontent from the regional leadership. I understand very well how difficult it was to them. In the eyes of ordinary citizens, such a fundamental position can only cause respect.

Many media helped to give my situation of publicity. I think it played a role. The chairman of the committee on public associations and religious organizations of the State Duma, Yaroslav Nilov, helped. He sent requests to the General Prosecutor's Office and the TFR.

Now the case is small. Find the customer of the case and bring it to clean water. ”