Criminal Investigation and Trial

In Ussuriysk, a believer was sent to jail for 2 months

Primorye Territory

On June 5, 2019, in Ussuriysk (Primorsky Territory), a local resident Sergey Melnikov, born in 1973, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. This is at least the 7th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory.

According to preliminary information, Sergey Melnikov was detained in his own car, after which a search was conducted in his house, a laptop and phones were seized. After that, the court chose a measure of restraint against him in the form of detention. It is reported that over the past year, three men, having met Sergey, took him to talk about faith. Sergey was detained during a conversation with one of them.

Sergey Melnikov can receive letters of support. He is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Primorsky Territory at the address: 63 Engels Street, Ussuriysk, 692525.

Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk

Case History
Intelligence officers gained access to telephone conversations of Sergey Melnikov from Ussuriysk, which he conducted from April to June 2018. Later, they introduced agent provocateur Konstantin Belousov, who asked Sergey to tell him about the Bible. In June 2019, the believer was detained in his own car. Investigator E. S. Marvanyuk charged him with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later investigator V. V. Golsky reclassified the charge to participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer spent 122 days in a pre-trial detention center, 145 days under house arrest and then was placed under recognizance agreement. The prosecutor returned the case for further investigation. In the summer of 2020, the case was submitted to the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai. On February 3, 2022, Judge Dmitry Babushkin sentenced Sergey Melnikov to 3 years of suspended sentence. The appellate court upheld this verdict in May 2022. In December of the same year, the Court of Cassation of Ussuriysk upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Melnikov
Sergey

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Ussuriysk
Suspected of:
According to the investigation he “took steps to organize the recruitment of new members aimed at continuing the illegal activities of the banned religious organization ‘Jehovah's Witnesses Administrative Center in Russia’” (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of the religious organization “Jehovah's Witnesses Administrative Center in Russia” and its structural divisions)
Court case number:
11902050010000039
Initiated:
June 5, 2019
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigation Department for Ussuriysk city of the Investigation Administration of the IC of Russia for Primorye Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-27/2021 (1-510/2020)
Court:
Уссурийский районный суд Приморского края
Judge:
Дмитрий Бабушкин
Case History