Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Criminal Investigation and Trial

Three Believers Imprisoned in Rostov-on-Don

Rostov Region

On May 22, 2019, 51-year-old Aleksandr Parkov, 35-year-old Arsen Avanesov and his 66-year-old father Vilen Avanesov were detained in Rostov-on-Don. A criminal case has been opened against them for organizing extremist activities just because they profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Dozens of other believers were released after interrogation.

Update. On May 26, 2019, Victoria Mamelko, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, decided to send all three to custody for 2 months. They are kept in SIZO-1 in the Rostov region.

It is known that at least 15 searches were conducted in the apartments of Rostov residents who were suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In some cases, riot policemen, breaking into apartments, used force, seized electronic devices, photographs, and Bibles from residents.

For interrogation, the believers were taken to the building of the Center for Countering Extremism on Saryan Street. Suspects Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Alexander Parkov, are now being held in the temporary detention facility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at 28 Voroshilovsky Prospekt. The court hearing on the election of a measure of restraint is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 24.

The persecution of believers was initiated by employees of the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia. The detention was supervised by senior investigator M. Antipov.

Law enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses "do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually."

Case of Avanesov and Others in Rostov-on-Don

Case History
Searches, arrests, humiliation and intimidation. In May 2019, Aleksandr Parkov, Vilen and Arsen Avanesov from Rostov were detained by officers of the Investigative Committee for allegedly continuing the activities of the banned organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent 925 days. The accusation of believers was based on falsifications and testimonies of a provocateur recruited by the FSB. In July 2021, the court sentenced Vilen to 6 years in prison, and Aleksandr and Arsen to 6.5 years. The Court of Appeal and Cassation upheld this decision. Arsen was charged with another article - sponsoring the activities of an extremist organization, and his sentence was increased to 7 years. In February 2024, Vilen Avanesov was released, having served his term in full.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Rostov Region
Locality:
Rostov-on-Don
Suspected of:
According to the investigation they continued their activities and led the Local Religious Organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses, received religious literature, attracted other people to worship, and used living quarters at their places of residence for meetings
Court case number:
11902007712000035
Initiated:
May 22, 2019
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
First Investigation Department (with deployment in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-44/2021 (1-415/2020)
Court:
Ленинский районный суд г. Ростов-на-Дону
Judge:
Владимир Худавердян
Case History