ONE OF THE BELIEVERS IMPRISONED FOR 10 DAYS IN SOCHI
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 8 September 2017
On 6 September 2017 in the Khosta district of the city of Sochi, police arrested two Jehovah's Witnesses—16-year-old A.U. and 32-year-old Sergei Isaev—as they were taking a walk. After many hours of interrogation by F.S.B. personnel, Sergei Isaev was imprisoned for ten days on a false charge of disobeying policemen.
A casual passer-by recognized the men as Jehovah's Witnesses and, having noticed a police and cossack patrol, reported to them that Jehovah's Witnesses, "who are forbidden," were strolling along the alley. The policemen and cossacks escorted the believers to the police department, where they, including the minor, were interrogated until late at night. After midnight, Sergei Isaev was taken to the Sochi directorate of the F.S.B. It was later learned that Sergei was accused of disobedience to policemen. Allegedly, he "refused to get into the vehicle," although there was no vehicle at all.
It is noteworthy that several hours before the arrest in Khosta district of Sochi, police canvassed the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses, trying to discover whether their fellow believers had visited them and also whether there were foreigners among them. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 September 2017)
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