In Krasnoyarsk, new searches and interrogations for faith, the Koran was confiscated

On July 9 and 11, 2019, searches were carried out in Krasnoyarsk in at least three apartments of citizens suspected of professing the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two people were questioned about their religion. In one case, law enforcement officials seized a Quran in the belief that it was relevant to a criminal case.

On the evening of July 9, 2019, a group of investigators searched the apartment of a family of believers. Phones, computers, storage media, notebooks with personal notes were seized from them. At the same time, the officers made sarcastic jokes about the religion of the searched. After the search, the head of the family was taken to the investigation department, where he received a summons for questioning as a witness. On the same day, another search of a believing woman took place. Electronic devices and spiritual books, including the Koran, were also seized from her apartment. The woman was taken to the investigation department and questioned about her religious views. Two days later, another family was searched.

Since July 3, 2018, a criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov has been dragging on in Krasnoyarsk. He stayed in jail for 241 days and is currently banned from certain activities. In total, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, criminal prosecution for faith (in connection with Jehovah's Witnesses) was launched against three people.

Update. On July 16, it is known that the operational-search measures were sanctioned by the Krasnoyarsk Garrison Military Court at the request of Lieutenant-General V. Ryazansky from the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation. Relying on a court sanction, this body conducted examinations (in fact, searches) of 61-year-old Sergey Tolstonozhenko, 50-year-old Eduard Belyaev and Tatyana Feruleva, in whose apartment the Koran was found and seized.