“Propagated their superiority”: in Ugra they detained followers of “Jehovah's Witnesses”

In the city of Urai (Khanty -Mansi Autonomous Okrug), a group of followers of Jehovah's Witnesses was detained. This was reported on the website of the District Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The number of detainees is not specified.

It is noted that employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB participated in the detention. In the video with operational shooting, men in the costumes of the Ministry of Emergencies are also visible.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, from July 2017 to July 2018, the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, known under the name “Meeting”, worked in Urai. According to the bodies, its participants "promoted their superiority over citizens who are not followers of Jehovah's Witnesses."

According to the investigation, the detainees also arranged secret meetings in order to study “extremist ideology” and develop “activity plans”. Participants in the religious movement, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, recruited the inhabitants of the Ugra, encouraged them to leave their families and not recognize the state authority.

During the searches, literature, computers and cell phones were seized from the followers of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the department, the detainees have already become defendants in the criminal case.

UPD 15:23 Yaroslav Sivulsky informed the OVD-Info that the searches took place in eight houses. According to preliminary information, all detainees were released except 38-year-old Andrei Sazonov. The court must choose a preventive measure for him.

Sivulsky noted that recently believers have noticed behind surveillance from cars with tinted glasses.

• In April 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the “Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia” with an extremist organization and banned its activities throughout the country. In August, all Jehovah's witnesses were included in the list of prohibited.
• On February 6, 2019, the Russian court sentenced the Dennis Kristensen Dannis to the six years of a general regime for membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses community.