INVESTIGATION DIRECTORATE OPENS CRIMINAL CASE FOR PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVITY OF EXTREMIST ORGANIZATIONS
Website of Investigation Directorate for Ivanovo oblast, 20 April 2018
The Investigation Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee for Ivanovo oblast opened a criminal case on the basis of evidence of the crime provided for in part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the RF (participation in the activity of a religious organization with respect to which a court has made a decision that has taken legal effect banning its activity because of conducting extremist activity).
According to the investigation, from early 2018 to the present, several residents of the city of Shuya and Shuya district, as adherents of the religious organization of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia which is prohibited on the territory of the Russian federation, familiarized themselves with literature containing statements demeaning human dignity upon the principle of attitude toward religion and elements of the propaganda of the superiority of one religion over another, and they participated in conducting events and promoting its activity.
At the present time a religious studies judicial expert analysis has been ordered and conducted regarding the criminal case and a complex of search operational events and investigative actions have been conducted intended to establish all persons who have participated in conducting extremist crime and the collection and registering of evidence produced have been conducted.
The crime was discovered by personnel of the Center for Combating Extremism of the Directorate of the M.V.D. of Russia for Ivanovo oblast.
The preliminary investigation is continuing.
(tr. by PDS,
posted 20 April 2018)
LOCAL RESIDENTS ARRESTED IN MURMANSK OBLAST ON SUSPICION OF PLANNING ACTIVITY OF EXTREMIST ASSOCIATION BANNED BY COURT
Website of Investigation Directorate for Murmansk oblast, 20 April 2018
Investigation agencies of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Murmansk oblast opened a criminal case on the basis of evidence of the crime provided for in part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the RF (planning the activity of a religious organization with respect to which a court has made a decision that has taken legal effect liquidating it because of conducting extremist activity). As a result of carefully planned and conducted operational investigative action on suspicion of committing the aforesaid crime, two local residents of the Alexandrovsk closed administrative territorial formation of the city of Polyarny of Murmansk oblast were arrested. This crime was discovered by operational personnel of the Russian U.F.S.B. for the Northern Fleet.
It was established that by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017, which has taken legal effect, the religious organization of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the local religious organizations that are members of its structure were liquidated, including the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses of Polyarny, which is identified in the decision.
The suspects, reliably knowing about this, in the period from April 2017 to the present conducted on the Alexandrovsk closed administrative territorial formation of the city of Polyarny the activity of the religious organization by means of convoking and conducting meetings, organizing the recruitment of new members, and disseminating texts of religious literature to participants in the meeting.
Within the context of the criminal case that was opened, investigators of the Investigative Committee, with the armed support of special forces of the Russian Guard for Murmansk oblast and the U.F.S.B. of Russia for the Northern Fleet, conducted searches simultaneously at six addresses on the territory of the city of Polyarny for the purposes of seizing documents and items having significance for the criminal case and also for establishing the persons who participated in the illegal activity.
Thus, in the course of carrying out the searches, a great quantity of literature and electronic data storage was seized. In addition, a circle of persons who participated in meetings and also persons who planned and conducted them using the Internet was established.
At the present time, the necessary investigative and operational search activities, aimed at collecting and strengthening an evidentiary base and identifying other persons who participated in committing the crime, are being conducted. Investigation of the criminal case is continuing.
The sanctions of the article provide for a maximum penalty in the form of incarceration for a period of from six to ten years. (tr. by PDS, posted 21 April 2018)
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