Criminal cases were opened against eight Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan

In February 2020, eight criminal cases were opened against Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). About this on the website “Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia”.

reported Criminal cases were opened against Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky, Tatiana Schollner, Tatiana Zagulina, Anastasia Guzeva, Natalya Kriger, Oleg Postnikov and Andrei Gubin. All eight are suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.”

In connection with religion, relatives of some suspects - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin, Konstantin Guzev and Artur Lokhvitsky - are already being criminally prosecuted in Birobidzhan. They are under recognizance not to leave the place; court hearings are ongoing in the cases of Guzev and Lokhvitsky.

• In November 2019, residents of Birobidzhan Anastasia Sychev, Elena, Yulia Kaganovich and Svetlana Monis for participating in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). They are under recognizance not to leave. According to investigators, the women “committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of activities” of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Reino-Chernyshova was accused - on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" was an extremist organization, liquidated it and banned its activities in Russia. In August, all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses were added to the list of prohibited organizations. After this, criminal cases began against representatives of the confession. In February 2019, the court handed down the first sentence with real imprisonment - Danish citizen Dennis Christensen to six years in prison; his complaint was accepted for consideration by the ECHR. admitted entered the flow sentenced