Photo: Invasion of believers in Tomsk (2018)

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Searches of Non-Jehovah's Witnesses Were Conducted in the Bryansk Region

Bryansk Region

In the city of Unecha (Bryansk region), law enforcement agencies conducted searches of citizens who were mistakenly attributed the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses. In one apartment, in search of forbidden literature, they even opened the floors.

Persecution of believers in Russia is beginning to take the most absurd forms. On June 26, 2019, it became known that as part of operational search activities in several settlements of the Bryansk region , law enforcement officers of Unecha conducted searches in at least three apartments, the owners of which had never professed the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. In one case, they were relatives of the husband of one of the believers; in another, the wife of a man who was interested in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses but died two years ago; in the third, acquaintances of one of the believers, whom she helped in the garden.

Law enforcement officers across the country are convinced that it is illegal to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but this contradicts the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, which "does not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses" (official comment of the Government of the Russian Federation).

Case of Shamsheva and Silayeva in Novozybkov

Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Locality:
Novozybkov
Suspected of:
According to the investigation they held discussions with residents in public places and residential buildings in order to propagandize Jehovah’s Witnesses' activities, involved other persons in these activities through advocacy
Court case number:
Investigating:
The First Department for Particularly Important Cases Investigation of Investigation Department of Russian Investigation Committee for Bryansk region
Case History