JEHOVAH'S WITNESS PLACED UNDER HOUSE ARREST AFTER SEARCHES IN KEMEROVO OBLAST
The Central district court of Kemerovo placed the Jehovah's Witness Sergei Ananin under house arrest. He is "accused of committing a crime against the foundation of the constitutional structure and against the security of the state," the press service of the court reports. Just what specifically Ananin is suspected of is not specified.
The website of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia indicated that on 14 February, in the city of Belovo of Kemerovo oblast, searches were conducted in at least six addresses of believers. The 53-year-old Sergei Ananin was arrested and he spent two days in a temporary holding cell.
In an anonymous Telegram channel "Kuzbass without extremism," on 15 February it was reported that a Jehovah's Witness with the name Sergei was arrested in Belovo. The posting says that a criminal case was opened against him based on the article about arranging the activity of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the CC). (tr. by PDS, posted 16 February 2021)
ACTIVITY OF ANOTHER CELL OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES HALTED IN KUZBASS
Telegram channel "Kuzbass bez ekstremizma," 15 February 2021
The religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was ruled to be an extremist organization by a decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017. Its activity is forbidden on the whole territory of Russia.
A resident of the city of Belovo decided to ignore this prohibition. The 53-year-old man by the name of Sergei, who previously had not fallen within the field of vision of the police, created a cell of Jehovah's Witnesses that survived almost three years.
Sergei combined his missionary activity with work at a large industrial enterprise. This did not prevent him from arranging meetings of adherents, conducting worship services, performing rituals, collecting donations, and drawing new people into the forbidden organization.
More than 50 residents of Belovo and Belovo district participated in the cell created by Sergei. He assigned offices to the most active ones: four adherents were elders, six were ministerial servants, and two were assistant pioneers. The organizer of the extremist cell himself assumed the position of chairman of the council of elder. It is proven that Sergei arranged and conducted 35 religious events (meetings, worship services, and rituals).
During the searches in the residences of Sergei and other active members of the extremist organization, irrefutable evidence (electronic drives, religious literature, financial donations) was seized, providing proof about the organization of the activity of the cell of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Sergei is under arrest at the present time. A criminal case on the basis of part 1 of article 282.2 of the CC of the RF—"Arranging the activity of an extremist organization"—has been opened against him. He faces up to ten years of imprisonment.
Esteemed subscribers, if you possess information as to what the forbidden extremist organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is doing on the territory of your city, do not stand on the sidelines! Reach out to the police at phone number 02 or 112 (from a cell phone) or at the official website of the chief directorate of the Russian M.V.D. for Kemerovo oblast: 42.mvd.rf (division "Receipt of reports"). If you wish to remain anonymous, write to us: @extremizm42bot. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 February 2021)
IN KEMEROVO ADHERENT OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES PLACED UNDER HOUSE ARREST
The Central district court in Kemerovo selected a measure of restriction in the form of house arrest for an adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Sergei Ananin. He is accused of "committing a crime against the foundation of the constitutional structure and against the security of the state," the press service of the court said.
As reported on the website of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, on 14 February in the city of Belovo of Kemerovo oblast, searches were conducted in at least six addresses of believers.
Security agents arrested 53-year-old Sergei Ananin. He spent two days before a court appearance in a temporary holding cell.
The Telegram channel "Kuzbass bez eksremizma" on 15 February reported about the arrest in Belovo of a Jehovah's Witness named Sergei. According to their information, a criminal case based on the article about arranging the activity of an extremist organization was opened. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 February 2021)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.