Case of Knyazev and Others in Izhevsk

Case History

In June 2024, an investigator of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against three Jehovah’s Witnesses from Izhevsk. A day later, the believers’ apartments were searched. After the interrogations, they were charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The investigation considered it a crime to hold peaceful worship services and read the Holy Scriptures via the Internet. The court sent Aleksandr Stefanidin to a pre-trial detention center and imposed a ban on certain actions for Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov. The investigator seized the accounts and property of the believers.
Timeline

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    June 3, 2024 Case initiated Art. 282.2 (1)

    Investigator for especially important cases of the First Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Udmurt Republic, Major of Justice Artur Selin, initiates a criminal case against Indus Talipov, Valery Knyazev and Aleksandr Stefanidin for organizing extremist activities.

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    June 4, 2024 Search Case initiated Art. 282.2 (1) Detention center Prohibition of certain actions Prosecution of several family members Elderly
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    June 5, 2024 Detention center Prohibition of certain actions Elderly

    Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Aleksandr Shishkin chooses a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions against Indus Talipov and Valeriy Knyazev, and sends Alexander Stefanidin to a pre-trial detention center.

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    August 19, 2024 Arrest of personal belongings

    Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk I.A. Semenova satisfies the investigator's petition to seize the accounts and property of Valery Knyazev, Indus Talipov and Aleksandr Stefanidin. The investigator refers to Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation on the need to seize in order to ensure the execution of the sentence in terms of collecting a fine. Funds received and held in their bank accounts have already been seized from believers. The investigator also asks to arrest the share of the apartment owned by Stefanidin.

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    August 29, 2024 Arrest of personal belongings Elderly

    Investigator A. A. Selin enforces the court decision to seize the property of believers. The arrest is imposed until the final procedural decision on the criminal case is made. The believers intend to appeal this decision.

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    October 15, 2024 Detention center

    Aleksandr Stefanidin is kept in a double cell, sleeps on the lower tier. The chamber is warm and has hot water. His cellmate does not smoke. The administration treats Alexander with respect.

    The believer does physical exercises to maintain his health, watches his diet and tries to walk more.

    There is no grocery store on the territory of the pre-trial detention center yet, so Aleksandr is grateful for the parcels with food that are handed over to him. He has already received 330 letters of support from friends and caring people. They also sent him a Bible.

    At the moment, the investigator is denying the believer and his wife visits and the opportunity to call each other. But despite all the difficulties, Aleksandr remains in a positive mood.