Jehovah's Witness arrested in Khabarovsk

In relation to a resident of Khabarovsk, Valery Moskalenko, a case was initiated under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code.

On August 2, 2018, the Russian Federal Security Service for the Khabarovsk Territory conducted searches in at least four homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khabarovsk. Valery Moskalenko, 51, was detained and, according to available information, was arrested by a court the next day. A criminal case was initiated against him under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).

According to believers, some of the Khabarovsk residents whose homes were searched were taken to the police department and fingerprinted, while others were interrogated by the FSB. During a search at Moskalenko's, his elderly mother became ill, and an ambulance was called for her.

In April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia decided to recognize the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist. was rejected In July , an appeal against this decision , after which, in August, the organizations were included in the list of extremist ones. We believe that this decision, like the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in general, had no legal basis and was a clear manifestation of religious discrimination.

Sources

• In Khabarovsk, a local resident was arrested for his faith. Message from Jehovah's Witnesses. 2018. August 3.