A new criminal case for faith is being opened in Novosibirsk, about 70 people have been interrogated

On April 19, 2019, FSB officers simultaneously invaded at least six homes of civilians whom the authorities suspect of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It became known about the initiation of a criminal case against 64-year-old Alexander Seredkin, 44-year-old Valery Maletskov and 48-year-old Marina Chaplykina. On April 21, 2019, the Oktyabrsky District Court refused to allow the investigator to detain Seredkin and Maletskov. Instead, they chose a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Marina Chaplykina signed a recognizance not to leave.

Aleksandr Seredkin is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, he "organized meetings and led the reading and discussion of literature recognized as extremist." Valery Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The investigation believes that they assisted A. Seredkin. The case was initiated by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the Novosibirsk Region Directorate of the FSB of Russia, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice E.V. Selyunin. More than 70 people were interrogated in the case.

Searches in the homes of believers followed a similar pattern. A loud knock on the door was heard at 20:45 in the house of Valery Maletskov, who lives with his wife and young child. Without waiting for an answer, the door was broken into. Shouting "Stand, do not move, raise your hands!" 5 people in camouflage, masks, with weapons and tools to break the door burst into the house. After that, 9 more people in civilian clothes immediately entered the house. They stated that the house would be searched by court order. The certificates were presented by police Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Pinaev and FSB Captain D.S. Maslyukov The operation was led by an FSB officer who refused to show the certificate. The search lasted until 3 a.m., during which they seized passports, phones, computer equipment and a CD with a recording of their wedding. After the search, the spouses were taken to the Federal Security Service of Russia Directorate for the Novosibirsk Region at 49 Kommunisticheskaya Street. There, at 5 a.m., their interrogation continued on video. After interrogation, Valeriy Maletskov was placed in an isolation ward. The man appealed to the investigator with a petition for the application of a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave due to special circumstances (the only breadwinner in the family, works 2 jobs, in the care of a young child and a 72-year-old mother with a disability of group II). However, investigator Selyunin asked the court to send the man to jail, without even mentioning his petition in court.

Update. In total, searches were carried out at 12 addresses of believers.

In the autumn of last year, a criminal case was opened in Novosibirsk against Yuri Savelyev, who is now in a pre-trial detention center.