Case of Ershov in Shadrinsk

Case History

In July 2021, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin under two parts of an extremist article, and Ilya Ershov also became his defendant. A few days later, law enforcement officers searched the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kurgan and Shadrinsk. Ershov was sent to a temporary detention facility for 2 days. In February 2023, the investigator stopped the prosecution on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and other materials against Ilya into separate proceedings.
Timeline

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    July 14, 2021 Search Interrogation Temporary detention facility

    Local Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched in Kurgan and the city of Shadrinsk, about 150 km away. Among those detained and taken in for interrogation is Ilya Ershov.

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    July 15, 2021 Search
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    July 16, 2021 Temporary detention facility

    Investigator Astapov releases Ershov from custody, as there are no grounds for his further detention.

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    March 17, 2023 Case initiated Art. 282.2 (2)

    The criminal prosecution of Ilya Ershov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is terminated. At the same time, materials under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the case of Alexander Lubin are separated into separate proceedings against him.