MASS ARRESTS IN KAZAN. DEPARTMENT FOR COMBATING ORGANIZED CRIME INQUIRES WHY PEOPLE FROM 9 TO 80 YEARS READ BIBLE
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 20 January 2020
In the morning of 19 January 2020, in Kazan, law enforcers arrested about 15 believers, including two women aged 80 and two children. All of them were interrogated, using psychological pressure, as to who is forcing them to read the Bible. Searches were conducted in the homes of several believers.
At about 11:00 in the morning of 19 January, three investigators entered the apartment of Tatiana Obizhestvit, accompanied by six masked OMON troops. At the time, Tatiana had guests. About 15 persons, including children of 9 and 12 years of age, were taken to the local department for combating organized crime at 3 Karl Fuks Street. During interrogation, investigator tried with all their efforts to elucidate what the believers were doing in the private apartment, who of them was the "elder," and who was forcing them to discuss religious topics with one another. Methods of intimidation were employed. One of the believers was threatened with the opening of a criminal case for "involving children in illegal activity."
Searches were conducted in the homes of Armen Airiyan and Liudmila Samolovaia. The married couple Andrei and Liaisan Bochkarevykh was questioned until late in the evening. Nobody was given copies of reports and other documents. The Bochkarevykh couple, and also 51-year-old Tatiana Obizhestvit, have been in a temporary holding cell for two days.
Other details of what happened are being clarified. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 January 2020)
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