In Smolensk, two followers of Jehovah's Witnesses were sent to a pre-trial detention center. One of them is 63 years old

On May 18, the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk sent two followers of Jehovah's Witnesses, Tatyana Galkevich and 63-year-old Valentina Vladimirova, to a pre-trial detention center for two months. This was reported on the website of the religious organization.

Women are suspected of participating in extremist activities (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). Both were searched and their equipment was seized.

The website writes that Valentina Vladimirova was detained under the pretext of theft in the prosecutor’s house, but during interrogation the investigator asked prepared questions about her religion.

December 2nd. The appellate authority released 60-year-old Tatyana Galkevich after six months in a pre-trial detention center under house arrest.

• In Smolensk, six people are already involved in criminal cases related to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina (after six months in a pre-trial detention center they were transferred to house arrest), Evgeny Deshko, Ruslan Korolev, Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov, detained in April.
• In April 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as an extremist organization and banned its activities throughout the country. In August of the same year, all communities of Jehovah's Witnesses were added to the list of prohibited ones.
• After this, a stream of criminal cases against representatives of the confession began. In February 2019, the court handed down its first verdict: Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was sentenced to six years in prison.
• In mid-February, mass searches took place in the homes of followers of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut. At least seven of them reported beatings, humiliation and electric shocks. OVD-Info published the story of the victims' lawyer.