“FSB for 33rd Guards Rocket Army” Enters Into Battle With Believers in Krasnoyarsk Territory

On June 18, 2020 in the town of Nazarovo there were mass searches in the homes of local believers. An armed detachment of security officers invaded the homes of the Shulyuk spouses. As a result, Ivan Shulyuk, 43, was detained. In the same morning, a criminal case was opened against him, based on the materials of operational and search activities of the “FSB for 33rd Guards Rocket Army”.

Ivan Shulyuk is an investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Nazarovo district of Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Lieutenant of Justice D. Smolin initiated a criminal case under part 1 of article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the materials of operational and search activities, the believer is allegedly "a leader with wide functionality" and "forms a stable opinion about the need to continue the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses despite its ban". The list of grounds for initiation of criminal proceedings includes "discussion of biblical writings, prayer".

At 6:35 a.m. on June 18, investigator Smolin presented the believers with a decree to "search in cases that do not require delay.” In the dwellings of the local citizens, law enforcers searched for electronic devices and "objects of extremist paraphernalia" to confirm "the existence of an organization of extremist orientation and participation in its activities.”

Russian law enforcers refer to Article 9 of the law "On countering extremist activities" and start hundreds of similar criminal cases against civilians who do not harm anyone. In reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin.