NORILSK
COURT
STIFFENS MEASURE OF RESTRICTION FOR ALEXANDER POLOZOV
A
peaceful citizen
is thrown into prison
Jehovah's
Witnesses
in Russia, 28 October 2019
On 26
October 2019 a
Norilsk city court placed 49-year-old Alexander Polozov in a
SIZO [pretrial
holding cell]. Before this, special forces conducted a massive
raid on a tourist
camp site where Alexander was, along with fellow believers. It
is noteworthy
that originally the believer had been released on his own
recognizance.
Immediately
after
the raid on the camp site on 20 October, Alexander Polozov was
taken to the
building of the Investigative Committee [S.K.R.] for
questioning. Investigators
aggressively questioned him about his religious convictions. On
22 October the
investigator chose for him a signed pledge not to depart, but
three days later
a hearing was held behind closed doors, during which the
believer was placed in
a temporary detainment cell. As a result of the hearing on 26
October, the
measure of restriction was stiffened. Now Alexander will be in
the SIZO at
least two months.
The
believer is
accused on the basis of part 1 of article 282 of the CC
RF—arranging extremist
activity. Cases against five other peaceful residents of
Krasnoyarsk territory
have been opened on similar charges, based exclusively on their
religious
confession. (tr. by PDS, posted 28 October 2019)
SPECIAL FORCES
SURROUND MORE THAN 50
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN NORILSK Special
troops
surrounded a tourist campsite in Norilsk where a meeting
of believers was being
held. Investigators interrogated people about a "forbidden
faith."
The issue is a criminal case, a source explained. Two
SOBR [Special
Rapid Response Team] groups surrounded a tourist camp site
in Norilsk, the
website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia stated. "Special
forces
in masks burst into a building and demanded of everybody
who was there to
surrender telephones and tablets. Searches were conducted
in homes of several
believers," the report says. The
special
operation was conducted in the morning of 20 October.
"More than 50
persons suffered from the actions of law enforcers," the
Jehovah's
Witnesses noted. "Law
enforcers
placed a number of those present into minivans, some with
the logo 'Norilsk
Nickel,' and they were taken away for questioning and the
conducting of
searches in their apartments," the believers added. Five
searches are
known, during which Bibles, computers, tablets, and
telephones were seized. Interrogations
were
conducted in the building of the Norilsk Investigative
Committee at 7
Zaveniagin St. Questions were posed by investigators who
identified themselves
as Alexander Slimkin and Alexander Garber. They asked
whether the detainees
profess a "forbidden faith," the Jehovah's Witnesses
reported. A
Taiga.info source
in law enforcement agencies confirmed the occurrence of
the operation. The
press service of the S.K.R. for Krasnoyarsk territory
stated that information
will come later. According
to
information of another source, who is acquainted with the
situation, a criminal
case was opened against the local leader of the Jehovah's
Witnesses
congregation. It did not specify what he was charged with.
Among local
believers there are teachers and physicians, the source
added. (tr. by PDS,
posted 28 October 2019)
Related article:
October 23, 2019
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