At exactly midnight, Anton Ostapenko from the Krasnoyarsk Territory was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest

On the night of December 20, 2019, in Sharypov (Krasnoyarsk Territory), believer Anton Ostapenko was released from a pre-trial detention center after spending 246 days behind bars. He was met by his wife, mother, sister, nephews, other relatives and friends.

The court decided to soften the measure for the believer 3 days ago, on December 17, 2019. However, on that day, the handcuffs were not removed from the believer: the judge ordered that house arrest begin only on December 20, while Anton was transferred to a temporary detention center.

The case against him for his faith continues to be investigated. Investigator Kunko A.M. and senior assistant to the Sharypovsky inter-district prosecutor Sharky E.Y. petitioned for an extension of the period of detention for Anton Ostapenko, who is accused of "discussing biblical writings, prayers." However, the judge of the Sharypovsky City Court, Rimma Baiteryakova, refused the petition, considering that "the grounds for extending the measure of restraint are not convincing."

A peaceful believer became a victim of unfair accusations of "continuing the activities of an extremist organization" simply because of his religion (not banned in Russia). In another city in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Norilsk, another believer, Aleksandr Polozov, continues to be held in pre-trial detention on similar charges.