Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

In Kerch, Law Enforcers Crushed Windows When Raiding Houses of Believers During a "Survey". A Father of Two Young Children Was Detained

Crimea

On the 26 of May 2020, armed security groups conducted a series of raids in Kerch. At least seven believers, including the elderly, were questioned. Five of them were taken to the investigation department and later released all but Artem Shabliy, 29, who had been detained for two days.

In the early morning, groups of 7-10 law enforcement officers, including representatives of the Rosgvardia and masked armed riot police, came to the homes of local residents of Kerch at four addresses under the pretext of "examining premises, buildings and structures.

During the special operation in the house of Artem Shabliy, who lives with his wife, mother and children, 2 and 4 years old, the law enforcers broke the windows in the entrance hall. The law enforcers put the cuffs on Artem himself and took them off only a few hours later, already after the interrogation in the local law enforcement department.

According to eyewitnesses, one of the organizers of the raid orally mentioned that a criminal case under article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code had been initiated against Shabliy, but no documentary evidence was provided. It is known that the case was initiated by investigator Valery Zarubin. He accuses a believer of "involving others in the activities of an extremist organization" while talking to them about the Bible.

While Artem was interrogated in the building of the Investigative Committee, his wife remained at home with her children, but later she was called for questioning and released the same day. The investigator tried to put pressure on the woman, threatening to "put" her husband. Artem was placed in a temporary detention facility.

Update. On the evening of May 28, 2020, Artem Shabliy was released from the temporary detention facility under the obligation to appear as a suspect. A criminal case has been initiated against him under part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“involvement in the activities of an extremist organization”).

Special operation at the other three addresses lasted about three hours. In one of the cases, the security guards broke the entrance gate. Electronic devices, printed media and some documents were seized from the believers. They were also taken for interrogation to the Investigative Department, where they remained for about two hours. In none of the cases were the owners presented with court orders to hold special events, and copies of the "examination" reports were not provided.

Recently, Crimean law enforcers have increased pressure on those who profess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. On May 26, 2020, the court sent Sergey Filatov, a resident of Dzhankoy, to the general regime colony for 6 years. His fault was a Bible study with children and friends. Before that Yalta resident Artem Gerasimov was fined 400 thousand for talking to people about God. Currently the case of Victor Stashevsky, a resident of Sevastopol, who is unreasonably accused of extremism because he believes in Jehovah, is in court hearings.

Case of Shabliy in Kerch

Case History
Artem Shabliy, the father of two young children, became accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization because of his faith in Jehovah God. The criminal case was initiated by investigator Valery Zarubin. He blamed the believer for talking about the Bible with a certain I. Dukhanin, who pretended to be interested in the Bible. In May 2020, security forces searched Shabliy’s house, during which his young child cut his legs on the shards of broken windows. After the search, Artem spent three days in a temporary detention center, after which a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him. Since April 2021, the case has been considered in the Kerch City Court of the Republic of Crimea by Judge Irina Altanets. On February 16, 2022, Artem Shabliy was sentenced to 2 years probation with a probation period of 3 years, essentially for talking about the Bible.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Crimea
Locality:
Kerch
Suspected of:
"pointed out the correctness, value, usefulness of the proposed views, that is, disseminated and explained the views and ideas of Jehovah's Witnesses ... praised, justified and approved the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses."
Court case number:
12002350006000066
Initiated:
May 26, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the City of Kerch of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-5/2022 (1-282/2021)
Court:
Kerch City Court of the Republic of Crimea
Judge:
Irina Altanets
Case History
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