Another case has been opened against Jehovah's Witnesses in Neftekumsk

In Neftekumsk, an investigator from the investigative department of the Federal Security Service of Russia opened another criminal case against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Alexey Shcherbich. They were accused under the article on financing an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code). The website “Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia” reports this.

The resolution to initiate the case states that the accused “realized that the specified money would be intended both to support the activities of the extremist organization UCCA (Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses) and the extremist organization MRO, which is part of its structure.”

Previously, a case was opened against Akopov, Sultanov and Samsonov for organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). On December 5, their preventive measure was changed from a pre-trial detention center to a ban on certain actions.

July 30. On July 29, two criminal cases (under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code and under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code) were combined into one proceeding. Samsonov was brought in as a defendant, writes the website “Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.”

According to investigators, “using his authority as the spiritual leader of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” Samsonov in 2017–2018 “organized collective worship services consisting of singing songs, prayers to God and studying articles of religious content.” And the funds, according to investigators, seized at the end of 2018 were intended for the needs of an “extremist organization.”

• In August 2017, police detained 18 people who were vacationing with children on the shore of a lake near the city of Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory). The reason, according to the police, was “an anonymous call that Jehovah’s Witnesses had gathered at the river, but they were prohibited.”
• 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.