New Search and Criminal Case for Faith in Luchegorsk. 62-Year-Old Yuriy Ponomarenko Was Placed on Recognizance Not to Leave

On July 22, 2021, a 62-year-old electrician Yuriy Ponomarenko was searched in Luchegorsk (Primorsky Territory). Later, the believer was interrogated and placed on recognizance not to leave. A criminal case was initiated against him under an extremist article.

On July 16, 2021, the senior investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory N.A. Sorokina opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities). After 6 days, she, accompanied by three operatives and two attesting witnesses, came to search Yuriy Ponomarenko's apartment. A mobile phone, a hard drive and postcards with Bible verses were confiscated from the believer. The security forces also searched his garage.

On July 24, Yuriy was summoned for interrogation to Dalnerechensk, which is located 80 kilometers from Luchegorsk. As evidence of the "crime", the investigator used a recording of a telephone conversation with a co-religionist, made in 2018. According to Sorokina, she also has records of how the services were held in the period 2017-2019.

Yuriy Ponomarenko became the 37th believer in the Primorsky Territory who is persecuted for his religious beliefs. The case against two other residents of Luchegorsk, Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev, is pending trial .