A criminal case was opened in Blagoveshchensk against two supporters of Jehovah's Witnesses

In Blagoveshchensk, the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Amur Region opened a criminal case against supporters of Jehovah's Witnesses. This was reported on the website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

As reported on the information portal, on October 21, investigator Obukhov issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against Sergei Ermilov and Anton Olshevsky. They are accused under the article on participation in the activities of an organization recognized as extremist (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). At the moment, followers of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are under recognizance not to leave.

• In July 2018, searches were carried out in Blagoveshchensk at least three supporters of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later, one of the believers, Dmitry Golik, was charged under the article on participation in an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigator leading the Golikov case, the police installed a listening device in the apartment of the man and his wife, with the help of which the investigation began to “have a number of details about their personal lives.”

• In February 2019, the court handed down the first sentence in connection with the persecution of supporters of Jehovah's Witnesses with real imprisonment - Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was sentenced to six years in prison, his complaint was accepted for consideration by the ECHR.

• On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” as an extremist organization, liquidated it and banned its activities in Russia. In August, all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations were added to the list of prohibited organizations. After this, a stream of criminal cases against representatives of the confession began.