Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk

A. N. Leshkov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, initiates criminal case No. 12102470006000036 on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Unidentified persons are accused of organizing extremist activities in the city of Snezhnogorsk.

FSB officers S. V. Polishchuk, I. A. Meshchirikov and S. B. Mikheev organize searches at least at nine addresses of believers in the cities of Murmansk, Snezhnogorsk, Polyarny and Olenegorsk.

In the apartments of 38-year-old electric welder of the shipyard Alexei Eliseev and 36-year-old mother of three young children Yunona Ilyasova searches are carried out at night "in connection with the urgency of investigative actions."

Aleksey Yeliseyev and Yunona Ilyasova are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.

Major of Justice A. N. Leshkov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for Closed Administrative-Territorial Formations of the Murmansk Region of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, hands over to Eliseev and Ilyasova a decision to bring them as accused of violating Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believers "searched for technical means and devices connected to the Internet, organized personal sermons, discussion of religious literature and its texts."

Aleksey Eliseev and Yunona Ilyasova are elected a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.

The criminal case of Aleksey Eliseev and Yunona Ilyasova is submitted to the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region. It will be considered by judge Roza Bolotskaya.

First meeting on the merits. Juno expresses her attitude to the accusation: "The Supreme Court did not forbid me, with my family or with my friends, to discuss biblical issues, that is, to perform worship services. This is my constitutional right. And the discussion of the Bible by a group of people is not included in the list of extremist activities." She asks the court: "For some reason, the fact that I sing songs and pray was considered extremism?"

Religious scholar and sociologist Larisa Astakhova is being interrogated via video link. It turns out that during the examination, she ignored 34 questions from the defense, answering only 5. The lawyer also notes that Astakhova went beyond her powers and gave a legal assessment of the actions of the defendants.

The prosecutor is requesting 6.5 years in prison for Aleksey Yeliseyev and 6 years for Yunona Ilyasova. The judge does not satisfy the defense's request for photo and video filming of the next hearing.

The defendants make their final statements.