Jehovah's Witnesses announced the planting of prohibited literature

On October 13, in Saransk, after a preliminary reconnaissance, 20 law enforcement officers broke into the premises of Jehovah's Witnesses under the pretext of a fire inspection and, turning their backs to the cameras, threw literature from the federal extremist list into the closet, which they then "found" themselves, according to a press release. Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, which is at the disposal of OVD-Info.

Earlier, on October 10, FSB officer I. A. Chushkin called the believers and asked to meet in the organization’s liturgical premises. He referred to the fact that he "has the authority to verify the implementation of the installation of surveillance cameras according to the safety data sheet." They went to meet him and allowed him to inspect. The employee very carefully examined the location of video cameras and other equipment, assured those present that everything was fine, and promised that no one else would come to them.

However, on the morning of October 13, the believers received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as a fire inspector and demanded to come to the premises for a proper check. Jehovah's Witnesses immediately responded, but they were in for an unpleasant surprise. Together with the inspector, about 20 more people burst into the church building. The believers were deprived of mobile phones, depriving them of the opportunity to record what is happening on video cameras.

After that, several people in uniform and masks turned their backs on the surveillance cameras and stood close to each other, forming a “wall” and blocking the view of the cameras. Then they pressed against an empty cabinet, broke its doors and "found" forbidden literature. Just in case, law enforcement officers also seized the video equipment, without providing a protocol of seizure. The search lasted about two hours.