Jehovah's Witness from Solikamsk released from house arrest

On September 24, Judge Margarita Tsyruleva of the Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory decided to change the measure of restraint for Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Poltoradnev from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. This was reported on the website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

At a closed court hearing, after almost two months of house arrest, Poltoradnev was released under a ban on certain actions. He is prohibited from communicating with other defendants in the case, sending or receiving letters, or using any means of communication except to call emergency services. The court motivated its decision by the fact that Poltoradnev needs fresh air for health reasons, and also asks to be allowed to work to support himself.

• Searches in Solikamsk took place on July 28, 2020 in four houses of Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result of the searches, six people were interrogated, and then three men, including Poltoradnev, were sent to a temporary detention facility, and later transferred to house arrest. The next day after the searches, Poltoradnev was charged in a criminal case under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).
• In January 2020, the Perm Regional Court upheld a fine of 350 thousand rubles to Jehovah's Witness Alexey Metzger under the article on participation in an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). In the summer of 2019, in Perm, believer Alexander Solovyov was fined 300 thousand rubles under the same article.
• 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.