Jehovah’s Witnesses

1/21/2012

Republic of Bashkortostan

Nevtekamsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer A. Khatipov detained A. Kulichenko and R. Nikonorov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the Nevtekamskiy Intramunicipal MVD⁵ Department, the Witnesses were interrogated about their religious activity. Nikonorov was photographed and fingerprinted.

1/18/2012

Penza

Nizhniy Lomov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A man in civilian clothing came to the home of A. Tokareva, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He identified himself as A. Sviridov, a criminal investigation agent, but he did not provide Tokareva with any proof of his identification. Sviridov questioned Tokareva about her personal life, demanded to see her passport, and then recorded the information from it. He ordered her to come to the police station in half an hour and threatened that if she refused, he would return and take her to the police station in handcuffs.

1/17/2012

Kemerovo

Tyazhinskiy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 5:00 p.m., police officer Agapov and another officer came to the apartment of L. Fillipova, L. Berezina, and K. Gulevich, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Agapov demanded that the Witnesses show him their passports and registration documents. After checking the documents, the policemen questioned them about their religious activity and their place of employment. Then the officers left. At 6:40 p.m., two other police officers, O. Korshunov and Ye. Stropin, arrived. They checked the Witnesses’ passports again and made copies of them. The officers behaved rudely and swore at the Witnesses. One officer threatened to come back and conduct a search of their home.

1/13/2012

Orenburg

Vasilevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Community policeman R. Abdulgazizov drove up to R. Ramayev and A. Shartan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Abdulgazizov demanded that the Witnesses stop their activity and leave the village. The Witnesses agreed to meet with him at the Village Council to resolve the matter. During the meeting, A. Yakimov, chief of the Municipal Entity the Vasilevskiy Village Council, said that he agreed with Abdulgazizov and was opposed to the Witnesses carrying out their religious activity in his municipal district. When the Witnesses cited their constitutional rights, Abdulgazizov threatened them, saying that he would call the police to take them to the police station, where “more qualified people” would check the Witnesses’ passports and religious literature.

1/12/2012

Krasnodar Territory

Olginskaya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  At approximately 9:00 a.m., two police officers came to the home of Z. Kodaneva, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They detained her and took her to the police station. There, they interrogated her and made a copy of her passport information.

1/12/2012

Moscow

Lobnya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained Ye. Minayeva and A. Pastuchenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Lobya OVD⁶, where they were interrogated about their religious activity. During the interrogation, the police repeatedly told the Witnesses not to share their religious beliefs with others and threatened that if they did, the police would “catch” them and put them in a cell. Then one of the police agents photographed the women and made copies of their passports. As he released them, he threatened them again, saying, “Remember, if you end up here again, there will be no more mercy.”

1/11/2012

Moscow

Lobnya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained Ye. Ashikhmina and L. Belyachenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Lobnya OVD, where they were photographed and their passport information was recorded. Then agents Ye. Vasin and A. Volkov interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity and personal life. During the interrogation, Vasin repeatedly raised his voice and yelled at Ashikhmina. The officers also insulted them and their religious beliefs. The Witnesses were detained for over three hours.

1/10/2012

Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld), were sharing their religious beliefs with others in an apartment building. They accidently called at one apartment where the owner had asked Witnesses not to call. A man answered the door and began cursing at them. The Witnesses apologized for their error, but the man said, “If you call again, I will shoot you. No, I’ll shoot you right now!” Then he reached into his jacket and took out something that looked like a gun. The Witnesses immediately left, but the man caught up with them on the staircase and shoved them.

1/10/2012

Kirov

Kirov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Two CCE¹ agents, V. Shtin and A. Maslov, approached A. Shamov and Ye. Udintsev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were unloading religious literature delivered by a trucking company. The Witnesses showed the officers the bill of lading for the literature. Then Maslov demanded that the Witnesses open several of the boxes. After writing down Udintsev’s passport information, Maslov confiscated one copy of the publications from each box, including a copy of the Bible. Then both agents interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity, where the literature had come from, and who ordered it. After some time, more police arrived. The police called the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for information on all the automobiles of the Witnesses who had come to pick up the literature that Shamov and Udintsev were unloading. After receiving this information, all the law-enforcement officers left.

1/9/2012

Sverdlovsk

Zarechniy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  G. Zagumennykh, officer of the Private Security Bureau of the UVD¹⁰ for the Asbest Urban District, detained I. Cherepanova and N. Cherepanova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Zagumennykh took the women to the Zarechniy Urban District OVD, where agent A. Dudin interrogated them and spoke negatively about their religious activity. He also advised them to leave the city and threatened that if they refused, he would detain them again.

1/6/2012

Krasnodar Territory

Novorossiysk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  L. Melnikova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was working a night shift at the Novorossiyskiy Boatyard. During the night, the shift supervisor, V. Chentsov, and the brigadier on guard duty, A. Maysuradze, were observing a religious holiday. Because Melnikova declined to partake of the food they had set out, they insulted and demeaned her. At approximately 2:00 a.m., Chentsov, who appeared to be inebriated, came into Melnikova’s room, threw her onto a couch, and then attempted to smother her with a pillow. Melnikova was able to break free, but Chentsov caught up with her again and shoved her against some furniture. L. Melnikova was injured but was able to call the interior security guard. Later, she called the police and filed a complaint.

12/29/2011

Omsk

Omsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Ye. Kalinin, a police officer in Police Station No. 3 of the Omsk MVD Department, and another police officer came to a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. N. Yakushko and A. Aloyan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were there at the time. The officers began asking Yakushko questions about her personal life and religious activity. In the meantime, Aloyan called S. Gorin, who is also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When Gorin arrived, Kalinin showed him a letter from the city administration. In the letter, S. Vorotnikov, acting chief administrator of the Kirov Administrative District, cited instructions from the Kirovets-4 Committee of the Territorial Public Self-Government for the police to “check the legality of this religious organization’s activity, and the content of the materials distributed by it, for extremist content.” Then the officers took Gorin to the police station, where Kalinin took a statement from him.

12/29/2011

Republic of Khakasia

Abaza

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  Late at night unidentified individuals threw glass tubes filled with black paint at a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings, defacing the facade of the building. The Witnesses called the police and filed a complaint. A similar event occurred on December 3, 2011.

12/28/2011

Orenburg

Zaglyadino

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officer E. Kosynko came to the home of Z. Shelyankina, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Kosynko interrogated Shelyankina about her personal life and religious activity.

12/24/2011

Omsk

Omsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Three law-enforcement officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. D. Panihin, one of the Witnesses in attendance, came out of the auditorium to speak with the officers. Ye. Kalinin, a police officer from police station No. 3 of the Omsk department of the MVD, showed Panihin a letter from the Kirovets-4 Committee of the Territorial Public Self-Government, which instructed the police to “check the legality of this religious organization’s activity with regard to extremism.” The officers asked Panihin a number of questions about his religious activity and about the activity of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then they put him in their police car, recorded his passport information, and wrote a protocol of the inspection of the premises.

12/23/2011

Tatarstan Republic

Kalmiya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers Karimov, Sitdikov, and Mukhametshin detained four of Jehovah’s Witnesses (I. Galiyev, Z. Troshina, L. Kayumova, and R. Kurmanayeva) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and took them to the village council. There, the Witnesses were questioned and their passport information was recorded.

12/22/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  N. Avdoshina and G. Tsesareva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others in an apartment building. A man came out of his apartment and forcefully shoved both women. One of the women was able to keep her balance, but the other fell down the stairs and was knocked unconscious. The man then went back into his apartment. The Witnesses called an ambulance and filed a complaint with the police.

12/20/2011

Orlov

Glazunovka

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  V. and G. Vraviy, a married couple who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, were visiting a woman who had invited them to discuss some questions about the Bible. While they were conversing, a neighbor, G. Isaykin, came downstairs and yelled, “Get out of here you sectarians, and don’t come back!” A few minutes later, Isaykin returned and approached V. Vraviy. Isaykin then took a pistol out of his jacket, unlocked it, aimed it at V. Vraviy’s face, and screamed, “Now I will smear your brains all over the wall!” The woman whom the Witnesses were visiting took them into her apartment, closed the door, and called the police. The police officers who responded interrogated the Witnesses. The Vraviys filed an application with the police to initiate a criminal case against Isaykin.

12/19/2011

Perm Territory

Sars

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  L. Chudinova and O. Rychkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were in a store just after they had finished sharing their religious beliefs with others. There, police officer S. Minkovskiy and a woman in a police uniform who did not identify herself stopped them. They called the Witnesses a “banned sect” and referred to an order they received from the Main UVD. The order stated that the distribution of religious literature was forbidden in the area, that anyone distributing this material should be stopped, and that it should be established whether those distributing religious literature are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers questioned the Witnesses and wrote down their passport information.

12/19/2011

Saratov

Atkarsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained I. and A. Gryanov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the police station, officers interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity and then photographed and fingerprinted them.

12/15/2011

Tatarstan Republic

Naberezhnye Chelny

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service | Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  During a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses, five men in civilian clothing burst into the auditorium. The men announced that they were checking for compliance with passport regulations. Police captain I. Salakhutdinov walked onto the stage and demanded to see the passport of the Witness who was conducting the meeting. Then the officers called in another police unit, while continuing to check documents and record the personal information of everyone present. The officers then choose three Witnesses, I. Gayfullin, I. Galiyev, and R. Gabaydulin, and told them to follow the officers to the police station. When the Witnesses refused because the officers had not shown them any orders or provided any grounds for their actions, the officers called the Witnesses “clowns” and physically forced them into the car. At the Komsomol OVD, the Witnesses were interrogated, photographed, and fingerprinted.

12/14/2011

Krasnodar Territory

Brinkovskaya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer A. Yakunin detained V. Korshikov and L. Kalinina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The Witnesses were taken to the police station, where community patrolman O. Kulish told them, “I am not trying to scare you—I am warning you. Do what you are doing at your place of worship; don’t go walking around and talking to people about it.”

12/12/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  D. Kuznetsov and N. Pikalkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others in an apartment building. At one of the apartments, a man (about 35 years old) opened the door. When he learned that Kuznetsov and Pikalkova were Jehovah’s Witnesses, he came out and pushed Kuznetsov against the banister, grabbed his necktie, and began choking him. Pikalkova asked the man to let Kuznetsov go, so that they could leave. However, the man pulled Kuznetsov’s tie tighter, ripping it apart. Then the man punched Kuznetsov several times in the head. He also shouted insults at Pikalkova and kicked her. The Witnesses filed a complaint at the Moscow MVD Department for the Perovo District.

12/9/2011

Astrakhan

Ushakovka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  While four of Jehovah’s Witnesses (V. Polyak, L. Polotebnova, O. Ivanova, and T. Shlepchenko) were driving home after sharing their religious beliefs with others, a police officer stopped them. After checking the license of the driver, the officer called someone on the phone and then told the Witnesses that he was ordered to detain them. Twenty minutes later, two police officers arrived and ordered Polotebnova and Ivanova to get into the police car to be escorted to the Chernoyarov OVD. There, V. Baklaushev, the chief of criminal investigation, and D. Aleshin, the officer for religious affairs, interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activities. The police released the Witnesses after recording their passport information.

12/3/2011

Republic of Khakasia

Abaza

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  Unidentified individuals threw glass jars of red paint at a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings, damaging the facade of the building.

12/2/2011

Republic of Bashkortostan

Ufa

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  Two law enforcement officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. One of the officers identified himself as A. Petrov, the assistant prosecutor of the Oktyabrskiy District, and demanded to see “the one in charge.” When I. Shaymukhametov, a Witness attending the meeting, asked him to wait until the religious service had ended, Petrov said that it was not possible and began asking Shaymukhametov questions immediately. The officers wanted to know the information that was being studied at the meeting, how many people were present, and whether or not the authorities had been informed. They also wrote down Shaymukhametov’s personal information, including his address and telephone number.

12/1/2011

Ivanovsk

Kineshma

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  While a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was in progress, some in attendance noticed that the video surveillance camera was suddenly covered with paint. The Witnesses called the police and guarded the entrance. Then a group of youths appeared and some in the group began shouting threats at the Witnesses, while others poured a flammable liquid on the fence surrounding the building and set it on fire. The Witnesses extinguished the fire immediately. When the youths saw that a police car was coming, they ran away. Two of the youths who participated in the incident were apprehended and taken to the police station. Officer Ye. Murzhukhin told the Witnesses that the police searched the youths and confiscated a half-liter of flammable liquid, a balloon containing paint, a knife, and a screwdriver.

11/27/2011

Arkhangelsk

Kotlas

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Just after a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses ended, two law-enforcement officers arrived. The officers said that they received an order in connection with the upcoming December elections to gather information about all religious organizations in the city of Kotlas and therefore wanted to ask a number of questions. One of the Witnesses gave the officers his telephone number. The next morning, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department telephoned the Witness while he was at work and asked him to meet them outside. Agent V. Salkin then questioned the Witness about his religious activity and about the activity of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

11/25/2011

Chuvash Republic

Yalchiki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A young man approached L. Pilshchikova and V. Pushkina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He told them that he had been trying to find them for a week and then made a telephone call. Shortly thereafter, three Russian Orthodox priests arrived. The priests asked who had given the women permission to talk to others about the Bible. Then the priests said that Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned in the Chuvash Republic, and ordered them to leave and not “stir up religious discord.” Then the priests called the police. When the police arrived, they recorded the Witnesses’ passport information and took statements from them. Before releasing them, the police threatened the women that if they returned, they would be taken to the police station.

11/24/2011

Altay Territory

Kulunda

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Officer D. Kobzov and other police officers drove up to meet A. Konygin and P. Gagarin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking their passports, the police took them to the office of the community patrolman for the Kulundinskiy District OVD for the village of Kulunda. There, Kobzov interrogated the Witnesses about their personal life and religious activity. The officers accused them of extremism and threatened to search their apartments. The Witnesses were released after the police photographed them and made photocopies of their passports.

11/23/2011

Kostroma

Kostroma

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Police officers detained T. Smirnova and V. Rudakova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the police station, officers interrogated the Witnesses about their personal lives and religious beliefs. When the women asked why they were being detained, one of the police officers threatened, “We can put you in a cell overnight. We have the right to do that.” Then the police officers photographed Smirnova and the Bible that the women had with them. Both women were charged under Article 47(1) of the Kostroma Region Administrative Code for “imposing religious beliefs on citizens.” The women were issued a summons and released after being detained for four hours.

11/23/2011

Samara

Pokhvistnevo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Agent A. Frolov detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I. Konovalova and S. Atayeva, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. They were taken to the police station, where Frolov recorded their passport information and released them.

11/22/2011

Sakha (Yakutia) Republic

Yakutsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two police officers questioned the security guard of a building that Jehovah’s Witnesses rent for religious meetings. The guard informed them that A. Yakovlev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, signed the rental agreement. The officers left a summons for Yakovlev to meet with A. Ivanov, an agent at the CCE MVD RF⁷ for Yakutsk, to give a statement.

11/20/2011

Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two agents in plainclothes came to a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings and spoke to A. Parygin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The agents wanted to know about the Witnesses’ contractual arrangements for use of the building for religious meetings. After asking a number of questions, they left. Later, when Parygin spoke to one of the agents on the telephone, the agent said, “We can’t put this off—you may have weapons lying around, and there is only a short time until the elections. We will pass your case along to a court of higher instance.”

11/20/2011

Bashkortostan Republic

Rayevskiy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officers detained V. Klyushkin and V. Kalinov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and took them to the police station. There, police questioned the Witnesses about their personal life and religious activity. During the questioning, E. Sadykov, the deputy chief of police, asked Kalinov for his views on the Russian Orthodox Church and whether he would be voting in the elections. Then Sadykov photographed both of the Witnesses, recorded their passport information, and inspected their briefcases.

11/16/2011

Bashkortostan Republic

Sibay

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  At approximately 7:00 p.m., F. Murtayev, the senior assistant prosecutor for the city of Sibay; police officer A. Kharlamov; and two officers who did not identify themselves, came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. Murtayev photographed the religious literature that was lying on the counter and videotaped all of the Witnesses present at the meeting.

11/15/2011

Stavropol Territory

Kazgulak

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  The chief of the village administration drove up to meet four of Jehovah’s Witnesses (V. Zaripova, L. Solovyeva, T. Goncharova, and L. Voronovskaya) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He asked them who they were and what they were doing. Then he called Jehovah’s Witnesses a sect, and ordered the four Witnesses to leave and never come back. He threatened that if they returned, they would have trouble.

11/15/2011

Voronezh

Boguchar

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A community policeman came to the home of M. Panenko, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Without obtaining permission, the officer entered the home and began to ask Panenko questions about the activity Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Boguchar. Referring to an inquiry from the prosecutor’s office, the officer wanted to know where the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are held, who attends, how many attend, and who is their leader. Panenko cited his constitutional right and refused to answer the questions. The officer replied that he would get the information “in other ways that will be unpleasant for Jehovah’s Witnesses,” and then left.

11/13/2011

Arkhangelsk

Nyandoma

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  I. Titkov, the community patrolman of the Nyandomskiy OVD, came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses being held in a private apartment. Titkov entered the apartment without permission and ordered the Witnesses to show him their passports to check for compliance with passport regulations. He wrote down the personal information of all those present, and then left.

11/13/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Activists from the Democratic Anti-Fascist Youth Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) were picketing near a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Approximately 20-25 people held placards with anti-Witness statements. The activists posted signs with anti-Witness statements near the building and yelled anti-Witness slogans. An administrative representative of the city of Belgorod was present with the activists.

11/9/2011

Udmurtia

Botkinsk

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  S. Zolotova, a teacher at the Botinskiy Litsey Municipal Educational Institution, demonstrated to her students how to reject Jehovah’s Witnesses during an ethics class. Zolotova also warned the children that under no circumstances should they look one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the eye and told them not to go to the Witnesses’ church. One of Zolotova’s students in the class is an eleven-year-old daughter of one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. After the class, the young girl was asked by her classmates, “Are you and your mother really hypnotized?”

11/8/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  A police officer detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses on “suspicion of fraud” while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At Police Station No. 22 for the Krasnogvardeyskiy District of St. Petersburg, the Witnesses were questioned about their religious activity. The police inspected their handbags and then released them.

11/7/2011

Moscow

Lytkarino

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two police officers from the Lyuberetskiy OVD detained O. Nikolayeva and N. Skvortsova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking the women’s passports, the officers took the women to the police station, where they were interrogated about their religious activity. Then S. Podadayev, agent of criminal investigation for the Lytkarino Urban District, and agent P. Vinogradov forced Nikolayeva to be photographed and fingerprinted. They threatened that if she didn’t cooperate with these procedures, it could be construed as resisting the lawful actions of a police officer, which would result in detention of up to 15 days.

11/6/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  S. Mantsevich and a 13-year-old, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At one of the apartments, a young man, Ye. Borisov, opened the door. When he realized that they were Witnesses, he began cursing at them. The Witnesses left the door immediately, but were overtaken by Borisov and his attack dog. Borisov immediately began punching the Witnesses and ripped Mantsevich’s clothes. Both Witnesses needed emergency medical attention and later filed a complaint with the police. However, the police refused to initiate a criminal case.

11/4/2011

Kabardino-Balkaria

Zalukokoazhe

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A group of Jehovah’s Witnesses were attending a funeral service for one of their fellow believers. During the service, two men who were neighbors of the deceased rudely told the Witnesses to get out and threatened them, saying, “We’ll kill you all right now.” As the Witnesses were on their way to the cemetery, the men intercepted them and beat up two of the Witnesses, A. Romanyuk and N. Pachev, and then threatened, “If you ever show up here again, you won’t leave alive.” Romanyuk needed emergency medical treatment for his injuries.

11/1/2011

Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk

Actions by Public

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A man approached V. Shunko and M. Suslonova, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with people in the entryway of a building and asked the women if they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. When the women replied that they were, the man ordered them to leave right away and said that if they did not, he would beat them with a whip. Without giving them a chance to leave, the man immediately began to beat the women. He hit Shunko on the back and Suslonova on the shoulders, and then he pushed both of them out of the entryway. The Witnesses reported the incident to the police.

10/31/2011

Republic of Karelia

Lakhdenpokhye

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Officers N. Kozyrev and K. Kiryano, from the Police Patrol Service, approached L. Kichataya and N. Kichataya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking the Witnesses’ passports, they took them to the Police Directorate for the Lakhdenpokhskiy District. There V. Nazarevich, the agent on duty, interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity. The Witnesses were photographed and fingerprinted.

10/30/2011

Lipetsk

Znamenka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers S. Tomozov and S. Yermolov detained T. and K. Sarkisyan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The Witnesses were taken to the Krasnoye police station, and interrogated about their religious activity. During the interrogation, Tomozov demanded that the Witnesses leave the village and never return to talk to others about their beliefs. Then Tomozov threatened that if he wanted to, he could imprison T. Sarkisyan for two days and fine him 500 rubles (approximately $16 U.S.). The Witnesses were detained for three hours and then released.

10/30/2011

Moscow

Nekrasovka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained S. Chashnikov and A. Shilo, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the Nekrasovka District OVD, the Witnesses were interrogated about their religious activity. After taking statements from them, the police officers pressured the Witnesses to be fingerprinted. The Witnesses refused, citing the Law on the Police. After the officers demanded that the Witnesses put their refusal in writing, they were released.

10/29/2011

Belgorod

Valuyki

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Assault and battery

+  Details–  Police officer G. Shtepin detained V. Shepetina and S. Brovko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the police station, where they were interrogated by two men in plain clothes who refused to identify themselves. (It was later learned that one of the men’s surnames was Mishukov.) After writing down the Witnesses’ personal information, including their cell phone numbers, Mishukov ordered them to be photographed. When Brovko refused, citing Article 13.19 of the Law on the Police, which stipulates that only persons who have been detained or who have been accused of a crime may be subjected to being photographed, the policemen became enraged. They screamed at Brovko, grabbed him by the chest, threw him against the wall, and began applying pressure to his neck. One of the policemen waved his fist at Brovko and threatened, “Since there are no witnesses, I’ll polish you off right now!” When they saw that their threats were not working, the policemen tried to persuade the Witnesses to be photographed. Finally, the officers wrote up statements and released them.

10/29/2011

Stavropol Territory

Podgornaya

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals damaged the fence surrounding a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. When the Witnesses saw the damage, they filed a complaint with the police. However, on November 9, 2011, a high ranking police officer of the Obilnoye Police Department issued a ruling refusing to initiate a criminal case.

10/29/2011

Tatarstan Republic

Kazan

Actions by Authorities

Assault and battery | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  G. Zorina and I. Gaysina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others in an apartment building. At one apartment, police officer V. Mukhametshin opened the door and showed the Witnesses his identification documents. He repeatedly said that the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is banned and extremist. When the Witnesses attempted to leave, Mukhametshin overtook them. He twisted Zorina’s arm and dragged her back into his apartment. He threatened that he “had the right to do whatever he wanted” to them. Mukhametshin then demanded to see their passports and made photocopies of them. He ordered them to stop sharing their beliefs with others, and let them go.

10/27/2011

Orlov

Kamenka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers drove up to meet a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses (V. and G. Vrabiy, L. Skorobogatko, and L. Babrauskaite) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. V. Alyokhin, an agent of the Criminal Investigation Department, recorded the Witnesses’ passport information. Then he demanded to see the registration documents for V. Vrabiy’s car, and one of the officers wrote down the registration information.

10/25/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  I. Aleksandrova, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was working as a caregiver for a severely ill elderly woman. From time to time, when Aleksandrova was not working, the two women would talk about religious subjects. When the elderly woman’s daughter learned of this, she summoned P. Timofeyev, an agent of the CCE for the District Department for Combating Organized Crime, to talk to Aleksandrova. Timofeyev told Aleksandrova that he came to speak with her because he was conducting a census. However, Timofeyev began insulting Aleksandrova, and said she was a member of a “banned sect.” He also repeatedly expressed his personal dislike of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and stated that he is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Afterward, the elderly woman’s guardians threw all of Aleksandrova’s personal belongings out of the apartment.

10/24/2011

Belgorod

Ivnya

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  V. Ponomareva and M. Titova (74 and 79 years old respectively), who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sitting on a bench sharing their religious beliefs with someone when two policeman drove up in an unmarked car. The policemen detained the women and took them to the Yakovlevskiy local office of the RF MVD, where officers V. Zhukov and V. Shekhovtsev interrogated them about their religious activity. An administrative case was initiated against Ponomareva and Titova under Article 6.8 of the Law of the Belgorod Region, for “imposing religious beliefs.”

10/23/2011

Krasnodar Territory

Goytkh

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  While sharing their religious beliefs with people, T. Davtyan and A. Akopyan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, approached a group of men who were loading a truck. During the conversation, the men said that they attend the Armenian Orthodox Church and that they know the local priest personally. Davtyan said that he was also acquainted with the priest. Then one of the men telephoned the priest and told him about the conversation the men were having with the Witnesses. The priest asked to speak to Davtyan. When Davtyan took the phone, the priest cursed and threatened him, using profanity. Davtyan handed the phone back to the man and excused himself; and then both Witnesses left the area. A few minutes later, the priest and eight other men came in two cars and met up with the Witnesses. According to Davtyan, the priest told him that he could not call himself an Armenian because he had betrayed his people. Then the priest hit Davtyan in the face, and two other men ran up and also started beating him. When Akopyan tried to intervene, the rest of the men attacked him, throwing him to the ground and kicking him. Hearing the disturbance, neighbors ran out of their homes and demanded that the men stop the beatings. Akopyan was later treated for a broken rib.

10/23/2011

Orenburg

Buguruslan

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  G. Buyalskiy, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was transporting religious literature in his car when he was detained by inspector Davydov of the State Inspectorate for Road Safety. When Davydov saw the boxes of literature, he took Buyalskiy to the Office of the Precinct Police Chief and the Juvenile Unit of the Buguruslanskiy Local Office of the RF MVD. Buyalskiy decided to call another Witness, D. Slyusarev, since some of the literature he was transporting belonged to Slyusarev. Slyusarev came to the police station to retrieve his personal literature. However, the officers took statements from both Witnesses and confiscated the religious literature in Buyalskiy’s car. When the Witnesses questioned why the literature was being confiscated, the deputy chief replied that they were checking it for extremism. The Witnesses suggested that the officers check the literature against the Federal List of Extremist Materials immediately, but the officers refused. Both Witnesses were detained for approximately four hours.

10/22/2011

Krasnodar

Ilskiy

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  A. Yatsuba, a resident in the village of Chernomorskiy, who has repeatedly threatened Jehovah’s Witnesses, was attempting to prevent the Witnesses’ large religious meeting scheduled for October 22 and 23, 2011, at the Ilskoye Community Center. Prior to the meeting leaflets had been posted in public places containing false information about Jehovah’s Witnesses and directing that local inhabitants not allow the meeting to take place. Although the religious meeting took place without incident, V. Korchura, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, filed a complaint with the Ilskiy Village Police Department of the RF.

10/21/2011

Chelyabinsk

Kusa

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A man in civilian clothing demanded to see the passports of Yu. Kramerenko and A. Ostroverkhova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The Witnesses asked to see his identification documents. He told them that he was the acting chief of criminal investigation and showed them his identification documents in the name of A. Masayev. After checking the Witnesses’ passports, Masayev called in a police unit. In the meantime, Masayev told them that Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned, and therefore they do not have the right to speak to others about God. When the police came, they checked the Witnesses’ passport information and ordered the Witnesses to come with them to the police station. However, the Witnesses asked what law they had violated, and since they did not receive an answer, they refused to go to the station. The officers issued a summons to Kramerenko and drove away.

10/21/2011

Nizhegorod

Lukoyanov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 p.m., five law-enforcement officers came to the home of O. Tukhbiyeva, M. Yeremeyeva, A. Posadskaya, and T. Milyayeva to conduct a passport inspection. After officer A. Kaynov recorded the women’s passport information, the officers left. The following day, while Tukhbiyeva and Yeremeyeva were sharing their religious beliefs with others, Kaynov detained them and took them to the Lukoyanovsky District Police Station. Thirty minutes later Posadskaya and Milyayeva—who had been at home—were also brought to the police station. There the Witnesses were accused of stealing money from an elderly woman, despite their having a plausible alibi. Officers Kaynov, P. Vodyanov, and Ye. Blinova interrogated the Witnesses several times about their religious activity and personal life. During the interrogations, Boyanov screamed at the Witnesses in an effort to intimidate them. The officers detained the Witnesses for more than seven hours, during which time the officers photographed and fingerprinted them and threatened to put Tukhbiyeva in a detention cell for five days.

10/20/2011

Moscow

Kubinka

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Yu. Chernukhin, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was washing his car outside his garage when a young man he did not know walked by. The young man pointed his finger at Chernukhin and started cursing at him. The young man threatened Chernukhin, saying that if his fellow believers walked around the city with their Bibles one more time, Chernukhin would “get it.”

10/20/2011

Tambov

Tambov

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals threw a rock and broke a window of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

10/19/2011

Smolensk

Smolensk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer V. Korzh detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and took them to the police station. There, the assistant to the officer on duty photographed and fingerprinted the Witnesses. Then police officer R. Danchenkov recorded their passport information, and released them.

10/19/2011

Voronezh

Kantemirovka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  S. Maslov, the precinct police chief, and other officers detained V. Zemlyana and another Witness (name withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers checked the Witnesses’ passports and recorded the information. Then the officers took them to the Kantemirovka ROVD⁹, where Maslov inspected their handbags and made copies of their passports.

10/17/2011

Ryazan

Skopin

Actions by Authorities

Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Law-enforcement officers came to the apartment of L. Shevtselova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to conduct a search. The police confiscated all of Shevtselova’s religious literature and interrogated her about her religious activity.

10/17/2011

Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Seizure

+  Details–  Police officers detained I. Guseva and Ye. Ilyina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers seized their passports, took the women to the Dzerzhinskoye ROVD, and interrogated them.

10/16/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Approximately 50 activists from the youth movement “Stal” (STEEL) picketed outside a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. P. Savitsky, who is a representative of the local city administration, and police officers, drove up in front of the building during the picketing. The activists walked around the building beating large drums and shouting, “No American Sects in Russia!” and, “Down with Sects!” Several activists climbed up the fire escape to the roof of the building and hung a sign saying, “No Room for American Sects in Russia!” Jehovah’s Witnesses appealed to the representative of the local administration to stop the picketing. Two hours after the picketing began, several of the activists were detained by police officers.

10/15/2011

Irkutsk

Cheremushki

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  Late at night, L. Frolov, chief of the village administration, climbed over a fence and opened the gate of a private home belonging to the Begen family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Frolov started banging on the window with such force that A. Begen, the owner of the house, was afraid that Frolov would break the glass, so he opened the door. Frolov, who appeared to be in an inebriated state, entered the home and threatened the family. He said that he had enough connections and money to carry out his threats. Then he took out a pistol and, in the presence of Begen’s wife, who was in her 32nd week of pregnancy, held the gun her husband’s head. Frolov whispered to Begen, “I’ll destroy you—do you believe me?” Frolov then lowered the gun, and as he was leaving, he promised, “You can expect violence in the near future!” Previously, on April 17, 2011, Frolov committed a similar act during a religious meeting held at the home of the Afanasyev family. Although the Witnesses have filed numerous complaints with law-enforcement agencies, Frolov is still at large and continues to threaten the Witnesses with violence.

10/15/2011

Vologodskaya

Kirillov

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained A. Nagnibeda and Ya. Dunayeva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The women were taken to the police station, where they were interrogated about their religious activity and personal life. During the interrogation, one of the officers called them “sectarians.” After inspecting the women’s handbags, the policemen confiscated several pieces of religious literature. They photographed and fingerprinted the Witnesses before releasing them.

10/14/2011

Krasnodar

Novorossiysk

Actions by Authorities

Assault and battery | Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  A. Durnev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was transporting religious literature in his car when officers of the Highway Patrol Service stopped him and searched his vehicle. When they saw the religious publications, they detained him and called representatives of other law-enforcement agencies. An hour and a half later, two plainclothes officers, one who appeared to be inebriated, arrived at the patrol station. The officers inspected the vehicle and confiscated several religious publications. Then they questioned Durnev about his religious activity. When Durnev refused to answer questions about his fellow believers, the officer who appeared to be inebriated took him aside and cursed at him and then punched him several times in the face. Police then took Durnev to the district police station, where they inspected the trunk of his car again. They questioned him and fingerprinted him, after which he was released. Durnev needed emergency medical treatment for a split lip, bruised teeth, swelling under one eye, and dizziness.

10/13/2011

Kaluga

Sosenskiy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained S. Karpunkova and G. Guseva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Police chief K. Gerasimov checked their passports. Since Guseva did not have her passport with her, the officers sent her home to get it. In the meantime, Karpunkova was taken to the Sosenskoye police station, where Gerasimov tried to coerce her to be fingerprinted, but Karpunkova refused. Then Karpunkova called other Witnesses and told them that she was being detained. Some time later, Guseva arrived back at the police station with her passport. She was accompanied by another Witness, A. Pogotovskiy. The police chief copied all three passports and released the Witnesses.

10/13/2011

Kurgan

Kurgan

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals wrote slogans and swastikas on the exterior walls of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The Witnesses filed an application with the police to initiate a criminal case. On the night of October 19, the facade of the building was again covered with graffiti. The Witnesses filed another application with the police. On October 24, P. Kovalchuk, the interrogation officer of for the city of Kurgan, refused to initiate a criminal case on the basis of Article 24(1) of the RF Criminal Procedure Code.

10/12/2011

Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A. Yudin and V. Doroshkevich, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, returned to continue their conversation with a man with whom they had previously spoken about the Bible. When they knocked on the door, a woman opened the door and immediately attacked them with a stick, striking them several times on the head.

10/12/2011

Ryazan

Sasovo

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  L. Golovacheva, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and works as a kindergarten teacher, shared a religious brochure about childrearing with several parents. One of the parents filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office. On October 18, the director of the kindergarten informed Golovacheva that she was summoned to the prosecutor’s office. However, Golovacheva did not go since she had not been personally served with a summons. Consequently, N. Mitina, a leading specialist from the department of education in the city of Sasovo, was sent to the kindergarten. She read the complaint against Golovacheva to her, which stated that “a pseudo-religious organization purposefully sent a specially trained person to infiltrate its teachings into the kindergarten.” On October 20, the director of the kindergarten suggested to Golovacheva that she submit a “voluntary” resignation.

10/9/2011

Krasnodar Territory

Krasnodar

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Unidentified individuals placed leaflets on the gate of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Phallic symbols were drawn on the leaflets with the caption “Death to Sects.”

10/6/2011

Moscow

Zaraysk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Two police officers in civilian clothing came to the home of the Solomatins, a married couple who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. M. Tarakanov, an agent from the Criminal Investigation Department, and other officers questioned the couple about their religious activity and tried to get information from them about their fellow believers. When the couple refused to provide this information, the officers said that they would summon them to the Zarayskiy Municipal District OVD. On October 11, the couple were summoned to the Zarayskiy Municipal District police station, where Tarakanov again interrogated them about their religious activity. The Solomatins were pressured to be photographed and fingerprinted, but they refused. Then the officers copied their passports and released them.

10/4/2011

Rostov

Volgodonsk

Actions by Public

Harassment by public | Vandalism

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., two unidentified individuals threw rocks at a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

10/3/2011

Kemerovo

Tashtagol

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A sign saying “Sects Beware!” was posted on the announcement board in the vestibule of the City Administration building. The organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses was first on the list. The Witnesses complained to the deputy chief for community organizations about the matter. Although he appeared to be sympathetic, the sign was not taken down.

10/2/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Activists of the Democratic Anti-Fascist Youth Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) picketed as usual outside a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. A religious meeting was in progress at the time. Members of NASHI were holding placards with anti-Witness insults and chanted slogans for about an hour.

9/29/2011

Republic of Dagestan

Razdolye

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery | Detainment | Harassment by authorities | Confiscation of religious literature

+  Details–  Police officers detained a group of eight of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The district policeman first detained U. Arkhangelskaya and S. Kurunina. He copied their passport information and interrogated them about their religious activity in presence of the village administrator. Then the officers detained the other Witnesses and took all of them to the Tarumovka ROVD. There the police took three of the Witnesses (A. Zambatov, I. Lakunov, and R. Alkhasov) into an office and interrogated them about their religious activity. During the interrogation, the officers treated them rudely, used profanity, and threatened them physically. When officer Guseynov noticed that Zambatov was recording the interrogation on his cellular phone, he took Zambatov’s phone away. Then another police officer began to beat Zambatov. The officers took him into another office, where they continued interrogating him and beating him. Two other Witnesses in the group, U. Arkhangelskaya and O. Akhasova, were also interrogated and photographed. The police confiscated all the religious literature the group had with them.

9/28/2011

Pskov

Dno

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Criminal investigation agent E. Alekseyev detained T. Khudyakov and G. Petrova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. When they arrived at the police station, the Witnesses were interrogated about their religious activity. They were photographed, their passports were copied, and their religious literature was confiscated.

9/27/2011

Lipetsk

Yelets

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officers A. Inshakov and O. Usachev detained L. Gordeyeva and V. Mityukova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. When they arrived at the Yelyets office of the MVD, officer V. Churlyayev interrogated them about their religious activity. He also wrote down their passport information and referred to them as a sect. Mityukova was fingerprinted and her handbag was inspected.

9/27/2011

Vladimir

Bolshie Luzhki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  The village chief called the police concerning L. Bogatova and T. Pokrovskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who were sharing their religious beliefs with others. I. Belonovich, the precinct police chief, responded to the call and questioned the Witnesses on the spot. Belonovich told them that before coming to the village to share their beliefs, they must obtain a permit from the local administration, in advance. The village chief would then be informed of their arrival.

9/26/2011

Belgorod

Noviy Oskol

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Police officer Ye. Chernov and other officers detained N. Korotyshova and A. Mukhina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the Novooskolskiy ROVD, the Witnesses were interrogated about their religious activity. The police inspected Korotyshova’s handbag and confiscated her religious literature. An administrative case was initiated against her under Article 6.8 of the Law on Administrative Violations of the Belgorod Region.

9/26/2011

Irkutsk

Kuytun

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Ye. Bulanov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the district office of the Housing and Public Utilities Administration to clear up a question about his housing situation. When he entered the office of V. Makarenko, the Chief of that administration, G. Manukh, the head of the local settlement, was also there. The two officials insulted Bulanov, calling him a “sectarian,” and Makarenko rudely told him that they want to get rid of all Jehovah’s Witnesses in the area. During the meeting, Makarenko ordered Manukh to keep records on the Witnesses. Then Bulanov went to see N. Otchesov, the deputy mayor for social issues. When he entered Otchesov’s office, Makarenko was also there, and he began to question Bulanov again about his religious activity. During the conversation, Makarenko and Otchesov told him that they do not like Jehovah’s Witnesses.

9/25/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Activists of the Democratic Anti-Fascist Youth Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) continued their weekly practice of picketing outside the building where Jehovah’s Witnesses were holding a religious meeting. NASHI activist R. Kasatonov had a placard saying, “We can do without Jehovah’s Witnesses” while another activist, O. Dmitriyeva, had a placard stating, “Belgorod is a sect-free zone.” NASHI activist A. Androsov videotaped the event. Police officers, CCE agents, and a representative from the Ministry of Justice were also present.

9/25/2011

Chuvashia

Kudeykha

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Officers A. Kulyasov and L. Shpyneva detained four of Jehovah’s Witnesses (M. Azyukov, N. Sysoyeva, D. Koshkina, and another Witness whose name is not given) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers escorted them to the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Alatyrskiy Police Department. There the Witnesses were interrogated about their religious activity, and their passports were copied. Then the police recorded the license plate number of their car, searched it, and confiscated their religious literature.

9/23/2011

Leningrad

Lodeynoye Polye

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  V. Zotyev and I. Yeremina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when I. Feofanov came out of an apartment and showed them his police identification documents. After checking their passports, he called a police unit. When the police arrived, officer G. Komarov took the Witnesses to the Lodeynopolskiy OVD, where they were interrogated, photographed, and fingerprinted.

9/22/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure

+  Details–  At approximately 8:00 a.m., CCE agents V. Shikhranov and A. Ivanov searched the apartment of N. Nesterova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated a computer.

9/22/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained G. Savchenko and M. Shabanova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the RF Office of the MVD for the Marina-Roshcha District of the City of Moscow, the police took statements from the Witnesses and then released them.

9/20/2011

Belgorod

Alekseyevka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained E. Pavaloy (a citizen of Ukraine) and A. Zhurba, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. At the Alekseyevka OVD, V. Korniyenko, deputy chief of criminal investigation, copied their passports. He intimidated them into being photographed and fingerprinted by threatening to tear up Pavaloy’s immigration card.

9/19/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Search

+  Details–  At approximately 7:20 a.m., CCE agents S. Derbenev and A. Ivanov searched the apartment of R. Vasilyev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

9/18/2011

Lipetsk

Yelets

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals poured a flammable liquid on a fence and on an old wooden structure on the property where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The vandals lit the liquid, and the fence and wooden structure burst into flames.

9/18/2011

Republic of Dagestan

Kaspiysk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Four law-enforcement officers, one of whom was armed, came to a private home while a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was in progress. The officers tried to enter the premises, but the Witnesses cited their rights under the RF Constitution and refused to let the officers in. The officers waited until the religious meeting was over and then recorded the passport information of everyone in attendance.

9/18/2011

Republic of Karelia

Kostomuksha

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  Unidentified individuals broke a window of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

9/17/2011

Bashkortostan Republic

Buzat

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  The chief of the local administration approached a group of five of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The chief told the Witnesses that they could not preach there without his permission, and he accused them of distributing extremist materials. Then a local policeman drove up and said that they should have received the administration’s permission two weeks prior to coming to the village. He also threatened to fine them for violating the law of the republic. Then he ordered the Witnesses to leave, threatening to write all of them up if anything was stolen in the village.

9/17/2011

Belgorod

Stariy Oskol

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Two young men came to a large religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. They said that they had many questions to ask Jehovah’s Witnesses and would like to speak with someone. S. Filatov and S. Logvin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, spoke with them at the entrance of the building. Soon after, other young men drove up, including one who was dressed as Santa Claus. The men were activists from the Democratic Anti-Fascist Youth Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) and from the Young Guard of the United Russia movement. The activists held placards with anti-Witness slogans and began chanting those slogans. Then they pounded signs with anti-Witness slogans written on them into the ground, including the warning, “Sect beware!” When the religious meeting was over and the Witnesses started to leave, the activists video recorded all who attended the meeting. The next day, some of the video material was posted on a Web site.

9/15/2011

Orel

Danilovka

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A man who appeared to be in an inebriated state approached O. Safonova and Ye. Denisova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He began insulting the Witnesses, using profanity. Then he punched them in the head and back, screaming that he did not want to see them in the village ever again. Police officers who were passing by came to the aid of the Witnesses and detained the man.

9/11/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Activists from the Democratic Anti-Fascist Youth Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) were picketing outside a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. About 15 activists carried bells, flowers, and funeral wreaths. Their placards accused Jehovah’s Witnesses of causing deaths by refusing blood transfusions. The activists did not say anything, but just rang their bells. One young woman who was a NASHI activist wore a T-shirt that said, “I hate Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Among the group was R. Savitskiy, a representative of the city administration. According to the Witnesses, Savitskiy stated that he saw “no violation of the law or any manifestation of extremism in this event.” The Witnesses stated that he also said, “If the picketers were wearing T-shirts saying ‘I hate Russian Orthodox’ or ‘I hate Muslims,’ that would be a religious [issue], but I see no legal violation in the slogan ‘I hate Jehovah’s Witnesses.’”

9/8/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Two CCE agents, S. Fomin and A. Kudryashov, searched the apartment of V. Gorcharov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a computer, and personal items.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  A. Nikolayev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, returned home to find S. Shuskin and two other police officers conducting a search of his home. Nikolayev’s parents allowed the officers to enter the apartment. The officers forbade Nikolayev to contact his attorney and then confiscated religious literature and personal items. After the search, they took Nikolayev to the investigation department, where he was detained for two days.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service | Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 p.m., a group of law-enforcement officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. The officers included D. Yefimov, investigator for the Investigation Department of the Cheboksary Investigation Directorate of the Chuvash Investigative Committee; P. Tetin, agent for especially important cases; and agents O. Mironov, N. Ivanov, and A. Sokolov. There were also four other officers who did not identify themselves, two of whom were dressed in the black uniforms of the special forces; they were armed and held short, heavy sticks in their hands. The officers immediately interrogated those present and wanted them to identify the presiding minister in the group. The officers detained all in attendance, recorded their passport information, conducted a search of the premises, and confiscated religious literature.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 5:20 p.m., law-enforcement officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. The officers (A. Puzyrev, investigator of the Novocheboksarsk Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigation Directorate of the Investigation Committee of the RF for the Chuvash Republic; V. Shitranov, chief of the CCE of the MVD for the Chuvash Republic; O. Ashnin, inspector of the department of information and public affairs of the MVD for the RF; and Ye. Mikhaylov, officer from the Special Forces Department of the Chuvash MVD) videotaped the proceedings and conducted a search of the premises. Shitranov interrogated A. Germanov and V. Petrov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He wrote down their passport information, wanted to know their ecclesiastic position within the congregation, and asked who the presiding minister is. The officers confiscated religious literature, documents, and DVDs with religious content.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 5:30 p.m., police officer A. Yegorov and CCE agent Ye. Biryukov forced their way into the apartment of the Maksimov family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. During the search, the wife returned home with the couple’s six-year-old daughter. The officers confiscated religious literature, a laptop computer, personal items, documents, and money.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:20 p.m., CCE agents A. Yegorov and S. Fomin searched of the apartment of A. Nikolayev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a laptop computer, and personal items.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Two CCE agents, S. Fomin and A. Kudryashov, searched the apartment of the Gavrilov family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a computer, and personal items.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Ivanovo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  A police officer searched the home of F. Mannafov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officer confiscated Mannafov’s religious literature and detained him. Mannafov was taken to the Kanash police station and then to the Cheboksary investigation department, where he was detained for two days.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Kanash

Actions by Authorities

Assault | Disruption of religious service | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:35 p.m., a group of 11 law-enforcement officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. Among the officers were S. Derbenev, agent of the CCE MVD for the Chuvash Republic, and Ye. Elyshev, investigator of the Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigation Directorate of the Investigation Committee of the RF for the Chuvash Republic. Armed policemen blocked the exits while Derbenev walked into the auditorium and demanded that the meeting be stopped. Then the officers checked the passports of all in attendance and wrote down their personal information. The officers conducted a search of the premises and confiscated religious literature. They also searched the handbags of several in attendance and seized some of their religious literature and personal items. The police had already cordoned off the property when they finally permitted the Witnesses to leave. As the Witnesses began leaving, the police shoved several of them, including children, and then took everyone in police cars to the police station, where they were photographed and fingerprinted.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Kanash

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  CCE agents S. Derbenev and A. Semenov and three other officers searched the apartment of O. and L. Marchenko, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature and personal items. After the search, the Marchenkos were detained and taken to the Kanash police station. There they were questioned about their religious activity. L. Marchenko was released, but her husband, O. Marchenko, was detained for two more days.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Novochebosarsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 5:45 p.m., law-enforcement officers, including investigator S. Koshkin and agent D. Mukhametzyanov, searched the apartment of I. Yefimov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a computer, a cell phone, a flash drive, and personal documents. After the search, Yefimov was detained and taken to the investigation department of the Moscow ROVD of the city of Cheboksary. There he was interrogated about his religious activity. He was released at approximately 1:00 a.m.

9/7/2011

Chuvashia

Novochebosarsk

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 5:50 p.m., law-enforcement officers (A. Sudakov, investigator of the Novocheboksarsk Interdistrict Investigation Department of the RF Investigation Directorate of the Investigation Committee; V. Piterkin, a CCE agent; A. Romanov, agent of the Operational Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Chuvash Republic MVD; and another officer who did not identify himself) came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. The officers blocked the exits of the building, conducted a search, confiscated religious literature, and checked the passports and wrote down their personal information of everyone in attendance. Then Piterkin and Romanov interrogated everyone and wanted to know the name and address of the presiding minister of the group. The officers inspected handbags and briefcases and confiscated religious literature and other personal items of those in attendance.

9/6/2011

Kamchatka Territory

Vilyuchinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  G. Ivancha, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, spoke to a woman by telephone on several occasions about her religious beliefs. Later, on November 3, the Department of Justice initiated an administrative case against Ivancha, under Article 5.26(2) of the RF CAV⁸.

9/6/2011

Pskov

Dno

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  E. Alekseyev, a criminal investigation agent, approached T. Khudyakov and A. Melnikov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He recorded the Witnesses’ passport information and confiscated their religious literature.

9/5/2011

Volgograd

Zimnyatskiy

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A schoolmate of one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (both are minors) saw the Witness on the street and punched him in the head. Later, on September 8, during a break between classes and in the presence of other pupils, the schoolmate called the Witness a “sectarian.” Then he grabbed the Witness by his clothing and hit his head against the wall. As a result, the boy required medical assistance.

9/4/2011

Altay Territory

Ust-Kalmanka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  A group of 11 of Jehovah’s Witnesses were sharing their religious beliefs with others when police officers initially detained six of the group. They took the Witnesses to the police station, where police interrogated one of them, N. Zhilina, about her religious activity and confiscated her religious literature. Another Witness, V. Kochetova, was photographed and fingerprinted. Then police brought the rest of the group to the station and photocopied their passports. Police interrogated V. Luboshnikov. According to Luboshnikov, officer S. Poddubskiy threatened several times to detain him for three days and to plant narcotics on him. Then officer Poddubskiy told Luboshnikov, “This is Russian Orthodox territory, so why don’t we part as friends? Don’t come here anymore, and I will let everyone go right now.”

9/3/2011

Bashkortostan Republic

Buzat

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Sh. Nigmatullin and E. Mamedova, were sharing their religious beliefs with a woman when her nephew approached them. The young man, who appeared to be inebriated, spoke rudely to the Witnesses and tried to hit Nigmatullin, who dodged the blow. Mamedova, who was standing behind Nigmatullin, was hit in the face instead. Then the young man attacked again and hit Nigmatullin in the face. The relatives of the young man came and stopped him, allowing the Witnesses to leave. Both Nigmatullin and Mamedova needed medical attention for their injuries.

9/2/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Bolshaya Atnya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained I. and M. Vyatkin, a married couple who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police took the Vyatkins to the Atninskiy district police station and interrogated them individually about their religious activity, photographed them, and then fingerprinted them.

9/1/2011

Irkutsk

Kuytun

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, P. Bezgin and T. Tomashchuk, were hired to work as teachers at the Kuytunskiy Middle School No. 1. When the director of the school, V. Makarenko, learned that Tomashchuk was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she told Tomashchuk that she should resign. Then Bezgin told Makarenko that he is also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Makarenko told him, “If I knew that you were one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I would not have hired you!” She also called Jehovah’s Witnesses a “sect,” and said that they are “not a state [recognized] religion.” Both Bezgin and Tomashchuk were pressured to submit “voluntary” resignations.

8/31/2011

Republic of Bashkortostan

Sibay

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  District police officer A. Tagirov, officer A. Kharlamov, and senior assistant prosecutor F. Murtayev, came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. They questioned some of the Witnesses and demanded that they stop the meeting. One of the Witnesses, R. Martynyuk, asked the officers not to interfere with the meeting. Therefore, the officers went out into the hallway and called several of the Witnesses out of the auditorium to give statements. The officers left after taking the statements. Later, Martynyuk was found guilty of an administrative violation under Article 20.2(1) of the Code of Administrative Violations and fined 1,400 rubles.

8/28/2011

Stavropol Territory

Kurskaya

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night unidentified individuals vandalized a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The vandals damaged the gate, broke a lock and the doorbell, ripped off the outside door handle, and tore off a security bolt. They broke several iron bars off the gate and made a cross out of them, which they laid out in the courtyard of the building. They also wrote the number “666” near the entrance.

8/27/2011

Irkutsk

Irkutsk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals broke two windows of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

8/25/2011

Altay Territory

Sovetskiy Put

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer A. Kodintsev and other officers detained a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses (A. Rybin, I. Suslov, G. Pruidze, T. Sheveleva, and T. Kozitsina) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Kodintsev took the Witnesses, including Pruidze who is disabled (category I disability) and is in a wheelchair, to the Loktevskiy district OVD. Under the direction of D. Tarasov of the OVD, the Witnesses were interrogated about their personal life and religious activity. The police released Rybin and Suslov after interrogating them and making copies of their passports. Sheveleva and Kozitsina were photographed and fingerprinted and detained along with Pruidze for approximately five hours.

8/25/2011

Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A. Doroshenko and I. Solovyeva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, went to visit a woman who had invited them to return to continue their discussion about the Bible. When the Witnesses came into the building, they met an aggressive woman who tried to force them out and shouted, “Get out of here, you rotten sectarians!” The Witnesses tried to calm her, but she cursed at them and threatened to beat them. The Witnesses attempted to leave, but the woman began punching them. When Solovyeva took out her cell phone to call for help, the woman quickly left.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Dolokovka

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., three law-enforcement officers (S. Momotov and A. Zaytsev of the FSB² Directorate for the Rostov Region and S. Dudchenko, police chief for the MVD) searched the home of I. Sheremetov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. During the search, the officers confiscated all of Sheremetov’s religious literature as well as some personal items. FSB officer A. Zaytsev also interrogated him regarding his religious activity.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Matveyev-Kurgan

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 6:30 a.m., officers M. Kostyukov and D. Rudnev, from the Rostov Region FSB, came to the apartment of the Kumshatskiy family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to conduct a search. V. Kosukhin, who is also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was visiting the family at the time. The FSB officers interrogated the Kumshatskiys and Kosukhin about their religious activity. The officers confiscated religious literature.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Russkiy Kolodets

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers (S. Ovcharenko, agent of the OVD First Department of the FSB Directorate for the Rostov Region, Taganrog; E. Shilov, police chief of the RF Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Neklinovskiy District; and D. Denisenko, agent of the FSB Directorate for the Rostov Region in the City of Taganrog) searched the apartment of A. Burlachenko, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, documents, CDs with religious content, a personal computer, and hard disks.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 3:00 p.m., law-enforcement officers (S. Kolgonosov and V. Tarkalon of the Southern Federal District OVD CCE of the RF MVD, and district policeman A. Buntiyarov of police station No. 1 of the Taganrog RF MVD) searched the apartment of the Trotsyuk family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated the family’s religious literature.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 6:00 a.m., a group of law-enforcement officers (A. Surganov of the RF MVD Main Directorate for the Southern Federal District; police officer S. Nadolinskiy, district police commissioner for police station No. 2 of the Taganrog office of the RF MVD; agent A. Konkov of the Criminal Investigation Department of police station No. 1 of the RF MVD Main Directorate for the city of Taganrog; police officer S. Nadolinskiy, district police commissioner for police station No. 2 of the Taganrog office of the RF MVD; and colonel S. Kuznetsov of the Taganrog FSB) burst into the courtyard of the home of the Shur family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to conduct a search. During the search, the officers confiscated religious literature, personal items, and a computer system unit. R. Trotsenko, criminal investigation officer of the Rostov Region FSB, arrived to interrogate I. Shur. According to Shur, Trotsenko used psychological pressure on him during the two-hour interrogation. The officers were in the home more than 12 hours.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 6:20 a.m., four law-enforcement officers (A. Zarudniy, CCE agent of the MVD Main Directorate for the Southern Federal District; V. Pustynnikova, deputy director of the RF Regional Directorate of the MVD; M. Taroyan, of the RF MVD; and O. Zakharenko, of the Department of Criminal Investigation of police station No. 1 of the RF MVD for the city of Taganrog) came to the apartment of Yu. and O. Baklushin, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to conduct a search. The officers confiscated religious items (audio recordings and literature) and some personal possessions. They also interrogated the Baklushins about their religious activity. The officers left at 11:00 a.m.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 7:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers, (including S. Uprosin, of the first division of the FSB for the city of Taganrog; A. Kholina, of the third division of the First Operational Investigation Unit of the MVD; and K. Gedali, of the Operational Investigation Unit for Criminal Investigation of the MVD Main Directorate for the city of Taganrog) came to home of the Yefremov family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to conduct a search. The officers confiscated religious audio recordings and literature, a laptop computer, and a computer system unit. They also interrogated the Yefremovs about their religious activity. The search lasted for approximately five hours.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 12:00 noon, law-enforcement officers (V. Kursayev, agent of the MVD for the Southern Federated District; O. Vyatlev, deputy chief, CCE State Office of the MVD for the Southern Federated District; and A. Slinko, police chief of the MVD, Taganrog) searched the apartment of I. Nefedov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers (including N. Bakhmutskiy, agent for the Southern Federated District) searched the apartment of A. Skvortsov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated all of Skvortsov’s religious literature, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items. He was also interrogated about his religious activity.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers (R. Trotsenko, agent of the FSB, Rostov Region; and officers Ye. Germashov, M. Komburov, and S. Okonov) searched the apartment of O. Mironov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers (V. Bokhach, police chief of Police Department No. 2 of the MVD, Taganrog; O. Seleznev, deputy chief, Department No. 1 of the MVD for the Southern Federated District; V. Bobrov, agent of Police Department No. 2 of the MVD, Taganrog; and police officer A. Prokhorov) searched the apartment of the Belik family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a laptop computer, the hard drive of a personal computer, documents, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers (V. Kovalev, agent of the FSB, Rostov Region; A. Frolova, agent of Operational Investigation Unit [acting as Criminal Investigation Unit] of the MVD, Taganrog; N. Makarevich, agent of the OVD; and V. Kisin, police chief for Police Station No. 1 of the MVD, Taganrog) searched the apartment of the Generalov family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a personal computer, videocassettes with religious content, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., M. Selik, an agent for the Southern Federated District searched the apartment of V. Chesnokov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Selik confiscated all of Chesnokov’s religious literature as well as some of his personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:00 a.m., police officers A. Ryzhenko and N. Babkin and investigator A. Grishanov searched the apartment of A. Filonov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated all of Grishanov’s religious literature as well as some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:30 a.m., law-enforcement officers (A. Vasilchenko, of the FSB, Taganrog; A. Pugachev, of the FSB, Taganrog; and A. Kovalyev, police chief of the MVD, Taganrog) searched the apartment of S. Orlov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated Orlov’s religious literature, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:30 a.m., law-enforcement officers (G. Lenets, an FSB agent from the Rostov Region; agent R. Fetisov; and police chief I. Strinadkin) came to search the apartment of D. Silyutin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers consfiscated all of Silyutin’s religious literature, a laptop computer, a personal computer, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:30 a.m., law-enforcement officers (K. Sugonyayev, agent of the FSB, Rostov Region; R. Kurenya, agent of the MVD for the Southern Federated District; A. Gezbeguryan, agent of the MVD, Taganrog; and G. Orlov, police chief of the MVD, Taganrog) searched the apartment of A. Povalyukhin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated Povalyukhin’s religious literature and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:30 a.m., law-enforcement officers (M. Yermolayenko, agent of the CCE; I. Kalinzev, deputy chief of the CCE of the Southern Federal District; and V. Mokriy, police chief of the MVD, Taganrog Police Department No. 3) searched the apartment of the Koptev family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, video and audiocassettes with religious content, and some personal items. The search was conducted for about nine hours.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 6:30 a.m., law-enforcement officers (V. Makarov, agent of the State Office for the Southern Federated District; O. Andreyev, specialist inspector of the Department of Document Verification and Revision of the MVD for the Southern Federated District; and I. Kuzmenko, police chief of Police Department of the MVD, Taganrog) searched the apartment of V. Moiseyenko, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items.

8/25/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 8:00 a.m., law-enforcement officers (S. Snychev, inspector of the FSB, Rostov Region; A. Andryushchenko, agent of the FSB, Rostov Region; and police officer M. Shkrylev) searched the apartment of V. Kosukhin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, DVDs and CDs with religious content, and some personal items.

8/24/2011

Rostov

Maryevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure

+  Details–  A group of Jehovah’s Witnesses were sharing their religious beliefs with others when police officers A. Ponomorenko and S. Makarov approached and forbade them to talk about their beliefs to others. The officers took written statements from them, checked the contents of their handbags and briefcases, and ordered the Witnesses to remove the religious literature. Then the officers photographed the title page of each issue. They returned the literature to the Witnesses and left.

8/21/2011

Voronezh

Vasilyevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers R. Klepikov and V. Kryukov drove up to meet A. Stolpovskiy, I. Chasovskikh, and A. Smirnova, three of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers checked their passports and ordered the Witnesses to present permits allowing them to perform their religious activity. When the Witnesses cited their rights under the RF Constitution, the officers said that they still needed a permit in the Anninskiy Administrative District of the Voronezh Region.

8/20/2011

Irkutsk

Sklyudyanka

Actions by authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police detained A. Kosykh and T. Potibenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After questioning the Witnesses, the officers took them to the police station, where they were fingerprinted and photographed.

8/18/2011

Astrakhan

Nizhniy Baskunchak

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, V. and S. Dmitriyev, were visiting a woman who had invited them back to her home to continue their discussion about the Bible. A young man, who is the son of a friend of the woman, was a guest in the home at the time. When the young man noticed that the Dmitriyevs were Jehovah’s Witnesses, he insulted them, threatened to harm them physically, and then started punching them. The woman of the house asked him to leave, which he did.

8/17/2011

Kamchatka Territory

Vilyuchinsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Ye. Vavilova and V. Kovalenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, went to visit a woman who had invited them to return to talk with her about the Bible. When the Witnesses approached the building where the woman lives, V. Romanyuk and A. Voropayev, who are two CCE agents from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, approached and detained them. The CCE agents had already confiscated the religious literature that the Witnesses previously gave to the woman they were about to visit. The agents took the Witnesses to the local police station, where they were interrogated about their religious activity.

8/17/2011

Kursk

Kursk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals threw a glass bottle and a rock at a double-paned window of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

8/17/2011

Ryazan

Shilovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  A. Lushin, the Shilovskiy District prosecutor, drove up to meet V. Talaluyev and I. Pochanin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After questioning them about their religious activity, Lushin called for a police unit and had the Witnesses taken to the police station, where officer S. Pankrukhin recorded their passport information. Then officers N. Anyukin and I. Radyukhin interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity and personal lives.

8/15/2011

Kurgan

Kurgan

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals wrote threats and profanities and drew an anarchist symbol in red paint on the facade, fence, and gates of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

8/14/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  The Democratic Anti-Fascist Youth Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) picketed outside a building when Jehovah’s Witnesses were holding one of their religious meetings inside. The local administration had given permission for NASHI to demonstrate, and police officers and representatives of the Belgorod television station were also present. The picketing began at approximately 1:40 p.m., with over 20 people participating. They carried NASHI flags and placards with anti-Witness slogans. Two of the picketers were wearing T-shirts printed with “I hate Jehovah’s Witnesses” on them. Another picketer held a sign inviting drivers of passing cars to flash their lights if they were against Jehovah’s Witnesses. When the religious meeting was over and the Witnesses began leaving, the picketers shouted the slogans on their placards. NASHI is conducting regular demonstrations at this location where the Witnesses meet for worship.

8/13/2011

Voronezh

Kantemirovka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  S. Filippova and O. Kharchenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, visited a woman they had met previously to talk to her about the Bible. However, when they were approaching the building, police officers detained them and took them to the police station. There they were questioned, their bags were searched, and their passport information was copied.

8/10/2011

Republic of Karelia

Medvezhegorsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  While they were sharing their religious beliefs with others, O. Vokhmyanina and Ye. Madorskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were detained by police officers and were taken to the police station. There the police recorded the women’s passport information and interrogated them separately about their personal lives and religious activity. The women were ordered to submit a written statement, and one of the officers dictated what they should write. Their statements said that they would not violate the laws or disturb the peace in the city of Medvezhegorsk and that they understood that doing so could result in their being charged with an administrative violation.

8/9/2011

Novgorod

Staraya Russa

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night unidentified individuals threw rocks and broke two double-paned windows in a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Vandals have made similar attacks at this location before.

8/6/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public | Vandalism

+  Details–  At approximately 10:00 p.m., in front of a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including women, a man from the neighborhood attempted to urinate on the door of the building where the Witnesses hold religious meetings. The Witnesses initially prevented him from doing so, but a short time later the man carried out his intentions. He also insulted the Witnesses, saying, among other things, that he would “light a candle so that Jehovah’s Witnesses would burn in hell,” and used profanity and threatening speech. He also tried to force his way into the building. The Witnesses summoned the police, and the police came and took the man to the police station.

8/5/2011

Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Two unidentified young men approached K. Mikhaylin and Ye. Rodiyonov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The young men said that they were Russian Orthodox and expressed their dislike of the Witnesses’ religious activity. One of them struck Mikhaylin in the face.

8/4/2011

Khanty-Manskiysk Autonomous Okrug

Nizhnevartovsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers D. Susanin and E. Valeyev came to the home for the elderly and infirm where T. Safin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was performing alternative civilian service. They searched Safin’s room and confiscated his religious literature and some of his personal items, including his laptop computer. Then the officers took him to the police station, where they made a copy of his passport and interrogated him about his religious activity. The officers forbade him to use his cell phone and ordered him to turn it off.

8/2/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Lashmanka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  District policeman A. Fassakhov detained E. Vakhitova and S. Atnaguzina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and took them to the Cheremshanskiy District OVD. There, police chief N. Mustafin interrogated the women about their religious activity and personal life. Mustafin was rude and threatened to lock them up in a cell. He accused the women of engaging in extremist activity, inspected their handbags, and confiscated their religious literature. Mustafin demanded that they leave the Cheremshinskiy District and threatened that if they did not, he would “turn thugs loose” on them.

8/1/2011

Moscow

Odintsovo

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A man came out of his apartment while Ye. Rogacheva and G. Loseva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others in the building. He began to beat them viciously. When Rogacheva fell to the floor, he grabbed her handbag and ran back into his apartment and closed the door. He then threw the contents of her handbag out the window. The Witnesses called the police to report the incident and had to be taken by ambulance to the district hospital emergency room.

8/1/2011

Tyumen

Kalinovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police detained A. Lelikova and M. Safronova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses and took them to the police station. The officer on duty accused the young women of distributing extremist literature and ordered them to show him the contents of their handbags. Then the police took the Witnesses to the office of I. Kepshin, the head of the OVD for the Sorokinskiy District of the Tyumen Region, where the young women were interrogated again about their personal life and religious activity. The police concluded the conversation by warning the Witnesses that if any complaints were received from the village residents about the Witnesses’ activity, the next conversation with the young women would take on “a different tone.”

7/29/2011

Mordovia

Kochkurovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Three of Jehovah’s Witnesses were stopped by village police, who forbade them to share their religious beliefs with others without first receiving permission from the police chief. The Witnesses explained that the law does not require them to obtain permission from the authorities, and therefore they continued in their activity. Later, the officers returned and detained the three Witnesses. The officers took the Witnesses to the police station, where they were interrogated and released.

7/27/2011

Krasnodar

Krasnodar

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  While a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was being conducted, the same group of young men who accosted the Witnesses on July 20 began shouting loudly and pounded on the door of the building. The Witnesses called the police, who came and detained the young men.

7/27/2011

Penza

Bekovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  District policeman M. Danilov and another officer came to the workplace of E. Sen, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers presented a complaint from A. Bashkirov, the deputy chief administrator, and informed Sen that they came to inspect his workplace because he possessed religious literature of Jehovah’s Witnesses. After looking at the literature, the policemen took a statement from Sen and left. At the end of the workday, officers Danilov and V. Novikov returned and confiscated his literature for an expert study.

7/27/2011

Rostov

Ilyinov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  O. Bibicheva, head of the local settlement, drove up to meet a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses (V. Boyko, O. Afonina, L. Finchuk, and Ye. Knor) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Bibicheva ordered them to leave the hamlet. A short time later, officer A. Zaynullin and a man from the local administration drove up to meet Boyko and Finchuk. After writing down the Witnesses’ passport information and interrogating them about their religious activity, the officers ordered them to leave the hamlet.

7/26/2011

Tver

Rogovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  N. Ivanova, chief administrator for the Andreapol Rural Settlement, drove up to meet I. Grabko and Ye. Makarenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Ivanova started yelling rudely at the Witnesses and ordered them to leave. The Witnesses complied and left town.

7/24/2011

Rostov

Alekseyevo-Lozovskoye

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  At 6:15 p.m., Ye. Shchegolkov and several other men came to the apartment building where D. and A. Konnik live. The men were looking for the young women, but the landlord would not let them in. The men left, but they threatened to return. D. and A. Konnik were frightened, because in the group were the same men that had threatened them before.

7/23/2011

Belgorod

Surkovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  The chief administrator of the town of Surkovo drove up to meet S. Miroshnichenko and V. Zvyagintsev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, when they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. While insulting and shoving the Witnesses, he ordered them to leave town. When he noticed that Zvyagintsev was recording the incident with the video camera on a cellular phone, the chief administrator grabbed the phone and acted as though he was going to smash it, but he turned it off and handed it back to Zvyagintsev. The Witnesses’ attempts to calm him down failed, and the chief administrator threatened them and said that they should leave now, while their car is still in one piece. The Witnesses complied with his wishes and left town.

7/23/2011

Rostov

Alekseyevo-Lozovskoye

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Cossack chieftain S. Konovalov, V. Poltavskiy, another man, and a woman drove up in three cars to meet D. and A. Konnik, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with the others. Konovalov threatened them, saying, “Didn’t we warn you? I will give you exactly 24 hours to leave this village. If you don’t leave, we will take you out ourselves. Tomorrow we’ll pick you up and we’ll get the police involved . . . we’ll plant narcotics on you and you know the law.” Then they surrounded the young women, put them in one of the cars, and took them to the local priest. The priest forbade D. and A. Konnik to share their religious beliefs with others in the village and said that the Russian Orthodox Church is at spiritual war with sects. Poltavskiy added, “It’s too bad I don’t have my whip with me.” After this, they released the young women.

7/22/2011

Belgorod

Stariy Oskol

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police detained I. Sokolov and S. Zaytsev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and took them to the Stariy Oskol District police station No. 1. At the station, criminal investigator V. Zolotykh and district policeman A. Goryachin interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity, inspected the contents of their briefcases, and confiscated Sokolov’s religious literature. The officers behaved rudely throughout the procedure and swore at the Witnesses. The police photocopied their passports and then released them.

7/22/2011

Penza

Lopatino

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained S. Busel and M. Reshetnikova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the women to the police station and interrogated them about their personal life and religious activity. They were released after their passport information was recorded. Later that day, a district policeman came to their home and took them to the police station, where they were interrogated again and were ordered to leave the village within three days. The district policeman threatened that he would be sure to check whether they had left. Then he photographed the Witnesses and released them.

7/22/2011

Rostov

Sovkhoz Yuzhniy

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  An unidentified man drove up to A. Zhuravlev and a minor, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The man yelled angrily at the Witnesses and insulted them, calling them “sectarians.” He demanded that they get into his car, but the Witnesses refused. Then he demanded that they give him all their religious literature and threatened that if they didn’t give it to him “nicely,” he would take it from them forcibly. After the Witnesses gave him their literature, the man drove away.

7/22/2011

Ulyanovsk

Novoselki

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A district policeman and two town administration officials drove up to meet V. Kurkin and A. Gumenyuk, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The Witnesses were taken to the town hall, where the chief administrator told them they were forbidden to share their religious beliefs with others. Then he ordered members of his staff and the district policeman to take the Witnesses to the bus station. Once there, the police put Kurkin and Gumenyuk on a minibus and then escorted the minibus until it crossed the town border.

7/21/2011

Volgograd

Larinskiy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A district policeman approached L. Budik and O. Latun, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He ordered them to leave and to stop speaking with the village residents. He threatened to take the Witnesses to the police station if they continued their activity.

7/20/2011

Krasnodar

Krasnodar

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  Jehovah’s Witnesses were leaving a building after a religious meeting had concluded when they were accosted by a group of unidentified young men. The men cursed at them, called them sectarians, and tried to provoke the Witness men into a fight.

7/20/2011

Primorskiy Territory

Ussuriysk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  V. Ilyicheva and L. Karpenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when they encountered a man who became aggressive. At first he insulted the women, using profanity; then he threatened to kill them. They attempted to leave, but the man attacked Ilyicheva and beat her until his mother intervened, which gave the Witnesses an opportunity to escape. Ilyicheva filed a complaint with the police.

7/17/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  A group of assailants burst into a meeting place while Jehovah’s Witnesses were conducting a religious service there. One woman in the group of intruders shouted insults at the Witnesses, using profanity. Then several of the women in the group grabbed the Witness women by the hair. Using their fingernails as weapons, the intruders clawed the women and then started punching them and throwing chairs at them. The men in the group of assailants pulled out knives and threatened to harm all of the Witnesses in attendance, and specifically threatened to kill one of the Witnesses, N. Yarova. As a result of the attack, two of the Witness women required emergency medical treatment.

7/17/2011

Rostov

Alekseyevo-Lozovskoye

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  A man drove up on his motorcycle to meet D. and A. Konnik, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The man angrily waved his Cossack identification documents in their faces and threatened them, saying, “If you keep preaching in Russian Orthodox territory, we’ll take you to the center of town and settle this with a whip.”

7/15/2011

Belgorod

Prokhorovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers approached I. and O. Konorev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers ordered the Witnesses to present their identification documents. One of the officers called someone and dictated Konorev’s passport information over the phone. The officer stated that he suspected that their documents might be falsified and ordered them to come to the police station. The Witnesses refused to go. Then the officers claimed that the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses is banned in the Belgorod Region, which is why the officers needed to take the Konorevs to the police station. The Konorevs asked whether they were being officially detained, and the officers replied that they were not. Therefore, the Konorevs refused to go to the police station, after which the officers decided to leave.

7/15/2011

Moscow

Litvinovo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, G. Zakharova and a 16-year-old girl, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Fryazino police station. The girl called her father, who came to the police station. After he arrived, the police interrogated all three Witnesses about their personal life and religious activity. The police released them after photographing them and photocopying their passports.

7/15/2011

Orenburg

Asekeyevo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officer R. Zaripov detained F. and N. Gareyev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Zaripov seized their passports and took the Witnesses to the police station. There the Gareyevs were interrogated about their religious activity. They were photographed, and their passports were photocopied. In the presence of attesting witnesses, the police confiscated their religious literature for an expert study.

7/15/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Petrovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  The local mayor, N. Arbuzova, met M. Chkhetiani and L. Agashina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Arbuzova ordered the Witnesses to present their license permitting them to carry out their religious activity. She stated that if they had one, she would allow them to continue. Since the Witnesses did not have a license, they left the village.

7/14/2011

Sverdlovsk

Krylovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Kh. Valiyev, the village administrative head, drove up in his car and met M. Andryushina and R. Mingaleyeva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He ordered the Witnesses to stop their religious activity and drove away. Andryushina and Mingaleyeva complied, and left the area. As they were leaving, district police officer E. Gafarov detained them. Then Valiyev returned, and together with Gafarov, they interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity.

7/13/2011

Rostov

Bogoroditskoye

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  District police officer V. Bondarenko stopped I. Rudenko, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to verify his identification documents. Bondarenko recorded his passport information and ordered him to leave the village, claiming that “Jehovah’s Witnesses are a banned sect.” Then Bondarenko left and Rudenko went on to meet R. Suleymanova and other Witnesses. Approximately five minutes later, Bondarenko also arrived. He demanded to see Suleymanova’s identification documents, and he questioned her about her nationality. Then Bondarenko attempted to physically force Rudenko and Suleymanova into his car. However, he stopped and threatened that next time he would take them to the police station, after which he drove away. Suleymanova filed a complaint with the police.

7/13/2011

Rostov

Budennovskaya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Ya. Shevtsova, O. Lyzhina, V. Dorofeyeva, and L. Lukyanchenkova) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers had previously detained Shevtsova and Lyzhina, on July 11. They interrogated the Witnesses and recorded the passport information of Dorofeyeva and Lukyanchenkova. The officers photographed them and then left.

7/13/2011

Tver

Rzhev

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer M. Zetilov, along with another officer, approached D. Vnukov and L. Ivanova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Zetilov interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity. The officers called in attesting witnesses and in their presence inspected L. Ivanova’s handbag. An administrative case was initiated against Ivanova under Article 20.29 of the RF CAV.

7/13/2011

Tyumen

Kalinovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  District policeman A. Stepanov telephoned A. Lelikova and ordered her to come to the police station immediately. When she arrived, M. Litvinov, head of the Criminal Investigation Department, and district policeman A. Stepanov interrogated her again.

7/12/2011

Samara

Bezenchuk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A police officer detained V. Nuykina, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while she was sharing her religious beliefs with others. The officer took her to the police station, where she was interrogated. The police ordered her to stop her religious activity and threatened to charge her with an administrative violation if she refused. Nuykina was photographed and released.

7/12/2011

Tyumen

Kalinovka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained A. Lelikova and M. Safronova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police took the women to the Bolshoye Sorokino village police department, where district police officer A. Stepanov made copies of their passports. The Witnesses were interrogated about their personal life and religious activity and were then released.

7/12/2011

Tyumen

Uporovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer A. Bezrukov was waiting at the door of the apartment occupied by D. Osminina and Zh. Zhaparkhanova, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. When the women arrived home, Bezrukov demanded to see their passports and then recorded their information. He issued each of them a summons on the spot. Later that day, Osminina and Zhaparkhanova came to the Uporovo police station at the time indicated on the summons and were interrogated for over four hours about their religious activity and that of their fellow believers. They were released after the questioning. The following day, Bezrukov phoned Osminina and Zhaparkhanova and ordered them back to the police station, but they refused. Therefore, Bezrukov came to their apartment and questioned them again about their religious activity.

7/11/2011

Rostov

Budennovskaya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained Ya. Shevtsova and O. Lyzhina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the women to the police station, where they were interrogated about their religious activity. The women were also photographed and fingerprinted and their passports were copied.

7/9/2011

Bashkortostan Republic

Ibrakayevo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  A police officer detained T. Semenova and S. Kulikova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officer took the Witnesses to the police station, where their passport information was recorded. Another policeman, who refused to identify himself, checked the contents of their handbags and interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity.

7/8/2011

Sverdlovsk

Polevskoy

Actions by Authorities

Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Two police officers came to a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. When N. Gradinaru, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, opened the door, the officers immediately entered the premises and confiscated several religious publications. They left after providing Gradinaru with their contact information.

7/8/2011

Volgograd

Kotovo

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At approximately 1:00 a.m., unidentified individuals threw a large rock through a window of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The Witnesses filed a complaint with the Kotovskiy intermunicipal department of the MVD.

7/6/2011

Bashkortostan Republic

Murtaza

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  District police officer A. Mukhamatgaliev drove up to meet T. Semenova and E. Mamedova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Mukhamatgaliev demanded to see the Witnesses’ documents and recorded their passport information. He questioned them about their religious activity and then drove away.

7/6/2011

Sverdlovsk

Nizhniy Tagil

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  While she was sharing her religious beliefs with others, N. Anishchenko, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was detained by the police and taken to the police station. While she was there, officer D. Letnev interrogated her about her religious activity. Soon after, two other Witnesses, D. Stolyarenko and A. Kiosse, were brought to the police station and interrogated. Their identification documents were also checked. During their detainment, Letnev repeatedly stated that he did not like Jehovah’s Witnesses preaching from house to house. He also stated that Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned and that they are a destructive sect. The officers recorded the Witnesses’ identification information and released them.

7/5/2011

Altay Territory

Rebrikha

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Officers detained A. and O. Tokarev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the police station, where their literature was inspected for extremist materials. Agent O. Rudkovskiy interrogated the Tokarevs about their religious activity and took their statements.

7/5/2011

Bryansk

Gordeyevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  A police officer detained D. Stepanov and D. Rublevskiy, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and took them to the police station. They were interrogated and photographed. Then the police showed the Witnesses a defamatory article about them in the Gordeyevskiy District newspaper “Udarnitsa” dated July 5, 2011, written by “Father Vladimir” (rector of the local Russian Orthodox Church). The policemen advised the Witnesses to leave the village and to stop sharing their religious beliefs with others.

7/4/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Amazar

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A law-enforcement officer came to the home of M. Borshchevskiy, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officer interrogated him about his religious activity. He asked how Borshchevskiy became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, how he receives his religious literature, and whether he distributes extremist literature. The officer audio recorded the conversation.

7/3/2011

Arkhangelsk

Karpogory

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A policeman approached L. Rasputina and N. Kuznetsova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After asking them questions and determining that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses, he called a police unit. Police officers T. Dokshukin and A. Uryadov came and interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity and personal life. The officers released the Witnesses after taking statements from them.

7/3/2011

Orlov

Dmitrovsk-Orlovskiy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Officer R. Babushkin along with another police officer detained A. Kalashnikova and A. Grishchenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The Witnesses where taken to the police station. After their identification documents were checked, they were released.

7/2/2011

Stavropol Territory

Rodnikovskoye

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Harassment by public

+  Details–  A group of 10 of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the village to share their religious beliefs with others. Before they could begin, the Witnesses were stopped by V. Ivashchenko, head of the Rodnikovskoye village administration, and “Father Innokentiy,” the local Orthodox priest. The men threatened the Witnesses, rudely forbade them to share their religious beliefs with others, and ordered them to leave the village.

6/30/2011

Bryansk

Gordeyevka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained D. Stepanov and D. Rublevskiy, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the police station, where they were interrogated about their religious activity. Then an FSB agent arrived and questioned the Witnesses about their personal life. An Orthodox priest was also present during the interrogation. The Witnesses were detained for over three hours.

6/30/2011

Mariy El Republic

Volzhsk

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  O. Razumova, the Volzhsk interdistrict assistant prosecutor, and an officer who did not identify himself came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress. They questioned M. Shaipov and I. Osipov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were present at the meeting, about their religious activity.

6/29/2011

Moscow

Shcherbinka

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  N. Rogova and N. Zaychenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when a man came out of his apartment and insulted the Witnesses, calling them a sect. The Witnesses started to leave, but the man pushed them down the stairs. Zaychenko fell and hit her head and bruised her arms and legs. Then the man kicked Zaychenko in the back. Zaychenko needed emergency treatment and filed a complaint with the police.

6/29/2011

Primorskiy Territory

Volno-Nadezhdinskoye

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A. Shirikov and T. Pashko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when a man approached. He threatened them, saying, “If I see you here one more time, I’ll tear off your head!” Then the man grabbed Shirikov by the throat and started to choke him. T. Pashko tried to stop him, but the man continued threatening and insulting Shirikov and ranted, “Scum! I’ll kill you if you ever set foot here again!” The man then let go. Shirikov went to the emergency clinic for treatment and filed a complaint with the police.

6/28/2011

Irkutsk

Irkutsk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At 5:45 a.m., unidentified individuals threw rocks at a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. They broke glass panes in the doors and in a window. The Witnesses filed a complaint with the police.

6/28/2011

Republic of Mordovia

Podlesnaya Tavla

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Police officers detained four of Jehovah’s Witnesses (F. Mikailova, A. Romanchenko, T. Makarova, and a 17-year-old) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Kochkurovskiy District ROVD, where the contents of their handbags were inspected and their religious literature was confiscated. The officers interrogated and photographed each of them. An administrative case was initiated against Mikailova under Article 20.29 of the RF CAV. They were detained for over three hours.

6/27/2011

Orlov

Bolkhov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  The chief of the UVD telephoned A. Larichkina, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and ordered her to come to the police station immediately in connection with an arson case in which a statue of Lenin in Bolkhov had been burned. Larichkina asked the officer to send her a summons. The officer became angry and started to yell at her. About one month later, on July 28, Larichkina responded to the summons and went to the Orlov Region UVD for the Bolkhovskiy District. There, four law-enforcement officers, including senior CCE agent O. Dadonov, interrogated Larichkina about her religious activity. During the interrogation, the officers repeatedly stated that the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses is extremist.

6/27/2011

Saratov

Novouzensk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer D. Konyukhov detained A. Stankov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while he was walking along the street. After checking Stankov’s documents, Konyukhov recorded Stankov’s passport information and questioned him about his personal life and religious activity. Konyukhov accused him of distributing extremist literature in the RF and said that he would give Stankov’s contact information to a patrol unit and instruct them to detain him and take him to the police department, where his religious literature would be confiscated for an expert study.

6/27/2011

Vladimir

Petushki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  S. Chetyrin, deputy chief of criminal investigation, detained N. Yudina, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while she was sharing her religious beliefs with others. After checking her identification documents, Chetyrin took her to the police station, where she was interrogated, fingerprinted, and photographed. When they learned during the interrogation that Yudina lived with other Witnesses, the police sent an operational investigation group to her home. When the investigation group arrived at the home, they found N. Gorbunova and T. Malkova at home. D. Prints, senior OVD officer for the Petushinskiy District UVD for the Vladimir Region, ordered them to present their identification documents. Then he questioned Gorbunova and Malkova about their personal life and religious activity. Officer Prints took both women to the police station, where they were interrogated further and then were released.

6/26/2011

Sverdlovsk

Yekaterinburg

Actions by Public

Harassment by public | Vandalism | Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  A man came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress and threatened to get a sledgehammer and destroy the fire escape, which was under construction on the exterior of the building. The man drove away but returned with a sledgehammer, and within a few minutes, he destroyed the unfinished fire escape. The Witnesses summoned a private security agency and the police. When the police arrived, V. Perezhogin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, showed the police officers a letter from the city administration affirming the Witnesses’ right to build a fire escape without obtaining other approvals. However, instead of taking measures to identify the perpetrator or establish the facts of the crime, officer S. Rozhkov seized Perezhogin’s passport and recorded the information on it. Perezhogin asked Rozhkov to return the passport. Meanwhile, another police officer, speaking over a radio, started asking Perezhogin for personal information. Indignant at the treatment, Perezhogin tried to retrieve his passport from officer Rozhkov, but Rozhkov refused to return it. Instead, he held Perezhogin down on the hood of the police car.

6/24/2011

Irkutsk

Biryusinsk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, an unidentified individual attempted to throw a bottle containing a flammable liquid through a window of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. However, the bottle missed the window and hit the brick exterior. The bottle broke onto the lawn near the building and burned out.

6/24/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  S. Ivanova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, applied for a job at the Polytechnic Museum of the Taganrog Technological Institute of the Southern Federal University. The museum director, O. Nabokikh, informed her that she qualified for the job. However, when he learned that she is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he rudely stated that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a banned sect and then demanded that she give him her letter of referral from the employment center. Nabokikh wrote on the letter, “Rejected; this young woman is a member of the sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

6/23/2011

Leningrad

Vyborg

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained A. Khachatryan and G. Dolgova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking their documents, officer A. Ivashkin told the Witnesses that he questioned the authenticity of their documents and ordered them to drive to the Vyborg District UVD. At the station, the Witnesses were interrogated individually about their personal life and religious activity. Police took statements from them. M. Kiselev, a criminal investigation agent, photocopied Khachatryan’s passport and then released both Witnesses.

6/23/2011

Tver

Andreapol

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Seizure

+  Details–  At approximately 9:00 p.m., officers Kudryavtsev and S. Koloskov came to the home of I. and Z. Grabko, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers ordered them to get into the police car so that the police could speak with them. The Grabkos stated that it was already late and asked the officers to send them a summons instead. The officers left but returned at 9:15 p.m. the next day. After checking their documents, the officers interrogated the Grabkos about their personal life and religious activity. The officers were primarily interested in knowing how the Grabkos obtain and distribute literature and asked them whether they are distributing extremist material. When the Grabkos told them that they are not doing so, the officers asked to be shown the literature. The Grabkos showed them several brochures. The police officers took the publications and left.

6/22/2011

Kursk

Kursk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  M. Pyankova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received a telephone call from an acquaintance with whom she had previously spoken about the Bible. The woman asked Pyankova to meet with her again. When Pyankova and another Witness, Yu. Presnyakova, arrived at the place where they agreed to meet, two CCE agents were waiting for them. One of the agents was A. Alyabyev, the chief of the Department for Counteracting Extremism. After checking the women’s identification documents, the agents took the women to the police department, where Pyankova was interrogated about her religious activity. Then she was taken to the prosecutor’s office, where she was interrogated again and released.

6/21/2011

Moscow

Serpukhov

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses were sharing their religious beliefs with a woman who eventually identified herself as T. Andreyeva, an agent of the criminal investigation department of the UVD for Serpukhovskiy District. Andreyeva then detained the Witnesses and called a police unit to take them to the police station. There, Andreyeva and other officers interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity. Then Andreyeva photocopied their passports, confiscated their religious literature, and released them.

6/21/2011

Saratov

Krasniy Kut

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search and seizure

+  Details–  Agent O. Mironov detained A. Romanova and M. Sidorova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He took the Witnesses to the police station, where they were interrogated about their personal life and religious activity. The policemen inspected the contents of the Witnesses’ briefcases and examined their religious literature for extremist material, returned the literature, photocopied the Witnesses’ passports, and released them.

6/20/2011

Stavropol Territory

Blagodarniy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Criminal investigation agents came to a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The agents interrogated the Witnesses who were present about their religious meetings.

6/18/2011

Kalmykia

Druzhnoye

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  A police officer detained A. Timura and V. Balta, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officer demanded to see their identification documents and after recording their information, he ordered them to leave the area.

6/17/2011

Rostov

Vasilyevo-Shamshevo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  While they were sharing their religious beliefs with others, I. and Ye. Kalichich, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were detained by a police officer who demanded to see their identification documents. The officer left after recording their passport information.

6/13/2011

Kostroma

Sudislavl

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Investigator O. Sorokin and another officer who refused to identify himself detained A. Koroleva and Ye. Shalneva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Sorokin ordered the women to present their identification papers. She photographed their passports and questioned the Witnesses about their personal life and religious activity.

6/12/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Actions by Public

Harassment by public | Vandalism

+  Details–  At approximately 5:00 p.m., two young men posted leaflets from the Russian National Unity movement at the entrance of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Using a beer bottle, the two men broke a window of the building and shouted: “Orthodoxy or death!”

6/11/2011

Voronezh

Orlovo

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  G. and V. Aslanov, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and their two daughters (ages two and three) were sharing their religious beliefs with a man at his home. The man became upset, cursed at them, and chased them away. Later, the man caught up with the family and began to beat G. Aslanov. The man also released his two dogs that began harassing the family. At the man’s command, one of the dogs attacked G. Aslanov.

6/10/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  I. Gudnichyov and other police officers detained Ye. Sterleva and O. Khorishko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Gudnichyov checked the women’s passports and ordered them to show him the contents of their handbags. Then he took the women to the police station, where he interrogated them individually and photographed them.

6/9/2011

Rostov

Yegorlykskaya

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery | Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure

+  Details–  Police officers detained O. Lenin and S. Pordzhyan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were walking on the street. The Witnesses were ordered by the officers to get into their police car. When Lenin asked the police officers to identify themselves, one of them struck Lenin twice in the face and pushed Lenin violently toward the police car. As a result, Lenin’s right shoulder was injured. The policemen forcibly put Lenin and Pordzhyan into the police car and took them to the Yegorlykskiy District OVD. While they were in the office of Criminal Investigation Officer G. Borodin, the same police officer that had struck Lenin earlier, hit Lenin in the face again and then made threats to kill him, sexually assault him, arrest him for 15 days, and plant a weapon on him. Lenin was then photographed. The police officers recorded the passport information of both Witnesses, inspected the contents of their briefcases, and confiscated their mobile telephones, after which they were released. Lenin then sought medical treatment for his injured shoulder, which had to be immobilized.

6/9/2011

Smolensk

Kardymovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search

+  Details–  While sharing their religious beliefs with others, A. Kapitanov and Ye. Gogoleva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were detained by Lieutenant T. Romanov and taken to the police station. While in the squad car, Romanov questioned the Witnesses about their religious activity and inspected their religious literature. At the station, the police verified the Witnesses’ identity from a database, and released them. As the Witnesses were leaving, one of the policemen threatened that if they did not stop preaching, the police would find some reason to bring charges against them.

6/9/2011

Sverdlovsk

Malaya Tavra

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Andreyev, head of the rural administration, approached R. Mingaleyeva and L. Chudinova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Andreyev threatened the women, saying that he would have someone throw them out of the village if they did not leave immediately. He also accused Mingaleyeva and Chudinova of fraud and theft. The women complied with Andreyev’s demand and left the village.

6/8/2011

Sverdlovsk

Malaya Tavra

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Andreyev, the head of the rural administration, and district policeman A. Mulyukov drove up to meet O. Rychkova and L. Chudinova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After questioning the Witnesses, they demanded to see their identification documents. Then Mulyukov grabbed Chudinova’s passport out of her hand and recorded her information and then recorded Rychkova’s information as well. After telling them that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a banned sect, both men drove away.

6/8/2011

Sverdlovsk

Malaya Tavra

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Andreyev, the head of the rural administration, and district policeman A. Mulyukov drove up to meet R. Mingaleyeva and L. Nikolayeva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After questioning the Witnesses about their religious activity, Mulyukov recorded their passport information and then both men drove off.

6/7/2011

Stavropol Territory

Divnoye

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Disruption of religious service | Detainment

+  Details–  District policeman V. Usik and another officer came to I. Mokrousova’s apartment where a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was in progress. Usik said that he was conducting an inspection for compliance with passport regulations and asked Mokrousova to present her documents. Without Mokrousova’s permission, the policemen barged into her apartment and checked the passports of everyone who was attending the meeting. Then they took Mokrousova to the police station for a statement. While at the station, the police threatened that Mokrousova would have problems with the police if she continued to hold religious meetings in her apartment.

6/5/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  At 2:00 p.m., members of the youth organization, Youth Democratic Antifascist Movement “Ours!” (NASHI) demonstrated outside a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The group had banners and placards with anti-Witness slogans written on them, which the group also chanted. Members of the media were also present for the demonstration. The Witnesses immediately contacted the police to inquire whether the demonstration was legal. A. Petrovskiy, the chief of the Department for Maintaining Public Order, confirmed that it was a legal event permitted by the local administration. After an hour, the demonstrators left. Before leaving, NASHI leader R. Kasatonov, warned the Witnesses that they would return. The group held a similar demonstration again on June 12 without the presence of the media.

6/4/2011

Saratov

Khvalynsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  While sharing their religious beliefs with others, B. Alatov and M. Odinokov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were detained by police officers and then taken to the police department for questioning. The officers ordered the Witnesses to turn off their cellular phones or they would be confiscated. The officers photographed the Witnesses’ briefcases and religious literature, and then confiscated their literature. Senior Police Lieutenant S. Tyurin told the Witnesses that the police would be sending the literature for an expert study. A protocol was written by the police, but the Witnesses were denied a copy. Alatov and Odinokov were then released.

6/4/2011

Udmurtia

Izhevsk

Actions by Public

Harassment by public | Vandalism

+  Details–  While a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was in progress, three young men came in and sat in the audience. A few moments later, they became verbally aggressive, using profanity. Since the women and children were frightened by the intruders’ behavior, they were asked to leave. Refusing to leave, the young men continued their verbal insults, threatened everyone in attendance and resisted polite attempts by the Witnesses to extricate them from the meeting. When the Witnesses were finally able to get the young men outside, they began throwing stones and gravel at the building, breaking a window and damaging the doorbell. They also uprooted flowers and threw them at the building. When the Witnesses called the police, the young men left the premises.

6/4/2011

Voronezh

Vasilyevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  District policeman, R. Klepikov drove up to meet a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Klepikov photographed the entire group, the license plates on their cars, and the driver’s license of I. Chasovkikh, one of the Witnesses in the group. Klepikov ordered them to stop their religious activity and then drove away.

6/3/2011

Ulyanovsk

Ulyanovsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure

+  Details–  Without permission, police officers N. Popov and A. Bondarev entered a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings and detained A. Dvorkin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers forcibly took Dvorkin to the police station and interrogated him. They seized his briefcase and confiscated several personal items, including his cellular phone. They also copied some documents related to his religious activity.

6/2/2011

Ryazan

Izhevskoye

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  S. Kosachov, the local administrative head, encountered five of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and asked why they had come to the village. After the Witnesses explained their purpose, Kosachov told the Witnesses that they should leave since he was calling the police. Sometime later, district policemen R. Pestsov and A. Konkov met up with the five Witnesses and recorded their passport information. The officers also demanded that they bring photocopies of their passports to the police station.

6/1/2011

Moscow

Khimki

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained S. Novoselova and S. Dyakov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Levoberezhnoye police station where they were questioned in separate rooms about the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The police photographed them and confiscated their religious literature. The Witnesses were released after being detained for over three hours.

6/1/2011

Murmansk

Murmansk

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  An aggressive group of young people, who identified themselves as members of the Slavic Diaspora (an activist group), attempted to come into a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses as it was about to begin. However, the Witnesses did not allow them to enter the building. The group left, but threatened to return. When the meeting was over, the group gathered near the entrance of the building. They screamed insults at the Witnesses as they were leaving, calling them an “American sect.”

5/29/2011

Mariy-El Republic

Mari-Turek

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police Lieutenant N. Sazanov detained three of Jehovah’s Witnesses (D. Aldushkina, R. Gabitov, and a minor) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Sazanov took them to the police station where the three Witnesses were interrogated in separate rooms. The police also inspected their religious literature and wrote down the titles of the publications.

5/28/2011

Kemerovo

Tashtagol

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At approximately 4:00 a.m., unidentified individuals threw rocks at a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses conduct religious meetings, breaking a double-paned window and damaging the siding. The assailants also broke the windshield of a car that was parked on the property. Witnesses who were in the building at the time informed the police.

5/26/2011

Adygeya

Krasnogvardeyskoye

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Approximately 10 CCE agents came to the home of A. Koneva (83 years old), who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while a religious meeting was being held there. The agents searched Koneva’s home and confiscated all her religious literature and the literature of those in attendance. The officers interrogated Koneva and several other Witnesses and took statements from them.

5/26/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Policeman I. Larin detained A. Ugryumov and T. Starostina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking their documents, Larin took the Witnesses to the Meshchanskiy OVD. On the way to the OVD, another policeman referred to the Witnesses as sectarians. At the station, the police took written statements from the Witnesses and then released them.

5/25/2011

Orenburg

Ravninniy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police detained a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were sharing their religious beliefs with others and took them to the police station. The Witnesses were interrogated and released. Later, as the Witnesses continued their religious activity, the police detained the group again and took them to the bus station, coercing them to leave the village. M. Baryshev, a criminal investigation agent, stated that the police had detained the Witnesses in order to prevent extremist activity.

5/24/2011

Kalmyk Republic

Yashkul

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained G. and Ye. Grabov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He ordered them to come to the police station. The Witnesses showed the officers their identification documents and told them that they had already been to the station five days earlier, on May 19, to provide statements. Then Ye. Balzhirov, junior police lieutenant, replied that if they did not get into his squad car voluntarily, he would use force. The Grabovs complied and were taken to the Yashkul ROVD. There the Grabovs were interrogated and new statements were written up. While they were waiting for copies of their statements, they met D. Novoseltsev, the district policeman who had spoken with them on May 21. Novoseltsev told them that the police chief had issued an order stating that they must leave the village within 12 hours. The Grabovs waited to speak with the Chief of the ROVD, police lieutenant colonel S. Dzhamoyev, who confirmed that they had to leave the village immediately. He stated that the village residents might attack them and that the police did not need problems like this.

5/24/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Tetyushi

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer D. Melnikov approached A. and I. Sabanin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Melnikov demanded that they come with him to the police station even though they had their passports with them and I. Sabanin was six months pregnant. At the station, senior lieutenant M. Sukhov berated the couple and cursed at them for over two hours. He demanded that they stop their religious activity and move out of the city. The Sabanins were photographed and then released.

5/21/2011

Kalmyk Republic

Yashkul

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police officer D. Novoseltsev approached G. and Ye. Grabov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He accused the Grabovs of illegally gathering information about people and then questioned them about their religious activity. He warned the Grabovs to leave the village that day if they did not want any trouble.

5/20/2011

Stavropol Territory

Stavropol

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  A burglar alarm sounded at 3:00 a.m. in a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Private security employed by the Witnesses called the police, who arrived at the scene. V. Boyko and K. Osokin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, also arrived about the same time. When they entering the building, they saw that everything on the shelves had been thrown to the floor. Locks on cabinets were broken, but nothing was stolen. Three metal grates and two windows, through which the intruders apparently entered, were also broken. The Witnesses filed a complaint with the police.

5/20/2011

Yaroslavl

Poshekhonye

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officer Ye. Yakovlev detained O. Nikolayeva and Ye. Molkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He took them to the police station, where, in the presence of chief of criminal investigation A. Lapshin and agent A. Sergeyev, the Witnesses were questioned about their personal life and religious views. The Witnesses were ordered to show their religious literature to the officers and were then released.

5/19/2011

Bryansk Region

Kletnya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officer Yu. Yemelchenko detained D. Bizyayeva and M. Milyayeva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He seized their passports and took the women to the police station. There the officers searched the contents of their handbags for extremist literature and attempted to photograph the women, but they refused. The policemen returned the women’s passports and released them.

5/19/2011

Kalmyk Republic

Yashkul

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained G. and Ye. Grabov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Grabovs to the police station, where they were pressured to provide statements. A man in civilian clothes entered the interrogation room and asked them whether they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. When the Grabovs confirmed that they were, the man said, “I strongly recommend that you leave, and do it tomorrow.” Additionally, A. Burlikov, the district police officer, warned the Grabovs that the village was not a safe place for them to be.

5/19/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Buinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer S. Abudlkhanov detained I. Novikova and M. Kopasova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He took them to the police station, where captain R. Musin began screaming abusively at them and demanded that they stop their religious activity. He threatened to arrest them for 15 days. The police released the women after photographing them and scanning their passports.

5/19/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  N. Ivanova and Ye. Tsvetkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others. One man, approximately 30 years old, began to scream and curse at them. The women excused themselves and quickly left, but the man continued cursing at them. He then pushed them hard from behind, causing Tsvetkova to fall to the pavement. She injured her knee, hand, and face. The man left after Tsvetkova said that she was going to call the police.

5/18/2011

Rostov

Bessergenovka

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officer O. Akutskiy detained I. Lebedev, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while he was sharing his religious beliefs with others. Akutskiy told Lebedev that Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned, and that he had an order to “find Jehovah’s Witnesses and monitor them.” Akutskiy then inspected Lebedev’s briefcase and confiscated all of his religious literature.

5/17/2011

Orenburg

Ilek

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  District policeman V. Kalinushkin and FS Bagent V. Gorin came to the home of R.  Volkova and V. Zhilchenko, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers questioned them about their religious activity and about the literature they were distributing. The officers warned them not to go on the property of the houses they visit in their ministerial activity, since they are living in a border zone. Gorin then asked Volkova and Zhilchenko if they use narcotics or smoke. After the Witnesses replied that they do not, both officers left.

5/16/2011

Orenburg

Ilek

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two men in civilian clothes drove up to R. Volkov and V. Zhilchenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The men approached another man who had listened to Volkov and Zhilchenko when they spoke to him about the Bible. The two men asked him what the Witnesses had said to him. Then, using profanity, one of the two men started making rude comments about the Witnesses. He called a police unit, ordered Volkov and Zhilchenko to wait there, and then drove off with his companion. The Witnesses waited, but no one came for them.

5/16/2011

Republic of Chuvashia

Cheboksary

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  G. Nikolayev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sharing his religious beliefs with a man who feigned interest in the message and invited Nikolayev into his apartment to continue their conversation. As soon as Nikolayev stepped inside, the man’s disposition changed. He struck Nikolayev several times in the face and head, and then he dragged him into another room. There were two other men in the room, and they joined in beating Nikolayev. One of the men, M. Fedorov, dumped the contents of Nikolayev’s briefcase on the floor and began looking for money. Another man held a kitchen knife to Nikolayev’s throat and threatened to cut him in pieces if they found as little as ten rubles. In the briefcase they found a certificate of disability, a cellular telephone, 50 rubles, and a Bible. After the men took everything, Fedorov threatened to sexually assault Nikolayev. The men continued beating Nikolayev as they dragged him out to the street. At that moment, a police car drove up to the entryway of the apartment building. Two of the attackers got into the police car and went to the police station. Nikolayev noticed that one of the attackers greeted one of the police officers as though they knew each other. The police later opened an investigation, but only two of the three men were brought in for interrogation as suspects.

5/14/2011

Altay Territory

Gornyak

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  For the third time, police officers came to the home of T. and Ye. Nikiforenko, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers ordered the family to hand over their religious literature. T. Nikiforenko asked them to show him authorization documents. Since they did not have authorization to confiscate the Nikiforenkos’ literature, the police left but warned Nikiforenko that they would return. Nearly a month earlier, on April 16, the police had come to the Nikiforenkos’ home. Since the family was not there at the time, the officers interrogated their neighbors. On April 20, the police returned to the Nikiforenkos’ home, but only their minor daughter was there. The police officers entered the apartment without permission and spoke rudely to the girl and questioned her about her family’s religious views. On March 30, FSB agents came to the girl’s school and interrogated her teachers, questioning them about her religion and whether she had given them any religious literature. Also on March 30, an FSB agent approached the girl on the street and asked her why she was standing there and if she was distributing religious literature. After warning her that they would meet again, the agent left.

5/14/2011

Orenburg

Krasniy Yar

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Nesterov, chief of the village administration, approached R. Volkov and V. Zhilchenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Nesterov demanded that they stop their activity and leave, since, according to him, only Russian Orthodox people live there.

5/13/2011

Karachay-Cherkessia Republic

Nikolayevskaya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police detained three of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were driving home after sharing their religious beliefs with others and escorted the Witnesses to the police station. There they were interrogated about their religious activity. The officers photographed and fingerprinted the Witnesses and photocopied their passports.

5/13/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  I. Modesova and N. Khokhlova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were returning to visit a woman who had invited them to return to talk about the Bible. Near the entrance of the building, three young men were waiting for them. The men grabbed the women and started dragging them into the entryway while insulting and cursing them, using profanity. One of the young men was A. Yakovlev, the grandson of the woman the Witnesses were coming to visit. Yakovlev threatened them with physical violence if they ever came to see his grandmother again. Then Yakovlev demanded that they come with him to the police station. Modesova and Khokhlova agreed, but on the way to the police station Yakovlev kicked them and told them to go to the bus station. Then the young men left.

5/12/2011

Khabarovsk Territory

Solnechniy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Precinct police chief D. Gusevskiy came to the workplace of D. Sokolova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and informed her that a complaint had been filed against her for distributing religious literature. Then, on July 22, during a meeting of the administrative board for the Solnechniy Municipal District, Sokolova was declared guilty of violating Article 35(1) of the Khabarovskiy Territory Code of Administrative Violations (intrusive harassment of citizens for the purpose of imposing religious beliefs). Gusevskiy was fined 500 rubles (approximately $17 U.S.).

5/12/2011

Orenburg

Ilek

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  A. Shamov, a traffic police officer, detained R. Volkov and V. Zhilchenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Shamov took them to the police station, where they were interrogated individually about their religious activity and their passports were copied.

5/12/2011

Voronezh

Maryevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  District policeman N. Zayets detained A. Bondarenko and N. Danichkina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking their documents, he said that Jehovah’s Witnesses are an “unregistered sect,” and therefore he was banning them from his district. Zayets mocked their beliefs and further stated that if he found them in the area again, they would have “big problems.”

5/11/2011

Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A student attending the Novosibirsk State Academy of Architecture and Fine Arts, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (name withheld), was called into the office of the president of the academy. A. Klimov, an FSB agent, was in the office waiting for him. Klimov questioned the student about his religious activity and about the teachings of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Klimov insulted him for being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then Klimov threatened the student that his future at the academy would depend on how he answered the questions. Klimov said that he would investigate whether the student distributed extremist literature in the academy and would be speaking to the president about him.

5/10/2011

Udmurtia

Romashkino

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Ye. Yemelyanova and Yu. Shipilova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when police officer A. Arzamastsev drove up in his car. Arzamastsev ordered the Witnesses to get into his car, and then took them to the ROVD, where the women were interrogated. After written statements were taken from the Witnesses, they were released.

5/7/2011

Kostroma

Sharya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search

+  Details–  Police officers V. Gusev and N. Malinov and two other officers stormed into a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Despite the protests of the Witnesses who were in the building at the time (N. Golotaystrov, O. Khramelya, and S. Kurygin), the police searched the premises, wrote down the Witnesses’ personal information, photographed and interrogated them, and demanded information about all the other Witnesses in the village.

5/7/2011

Krasnoyarsk

Aban

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained N. Grigoryev and Ye. Surzhitskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Police took the Witnesses to the police station, where A. Bashkov, the ROVD officer on duty, interrogated them about the religious activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Meanwhile, the police went to the homes of the people that Grigoryev and Surzhitskaya had spoken to and confiscated the religious literature that the people had accepted from the Witnesses and stated that the literature was banned. The police demanded Grigoryev and Surzhitskaya to provide written statements about the literature. After threatening the Witnesses that there would be trouble if they visited anyone else, the police released them.

5/6/2011

Belgorod

Rovenki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained P. Dyrdo and O. Radkovskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. One of the officers slandered the Witnesses to passersby, stating: “These vermin have swarmed in from all over; they are recruiting for their religion and distributing their sect’s teachings.” He also told passersby to call the police if the Witnesses preach to them. When one of the officers saw that Dyrdo was recording the incident on his mobile phone, he tried to grab the phone, but Dyrdo dodged him. Then the officer shoved Dyrdo and left.

5/6/2011

Kostroma

Sharya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers Igitov, Kurmyshov, and Malinov escorted N. Golotaystrov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to the police station. There they interrogated him about the religious activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses and also demanded that he give them the names and addresses of other Witnesses in the area. Golotaystrov refused to answer the questions, citing his rights according to the law. The officers threatened and insulted him, using profanity. Then a man who was in the interrogation room screamed at Golotaystrov and said that since he was not a policeman he could do whatever he wanted to him. Then he slapped Golotaystrov hard in the face and ordered him to quit being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and convert to the Russian Orthodox faith.

5/5/2011

Kurgan

Kurgan

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Spirin and another UVD officer came to the workplace of N. Goloshchapova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They asked Goloshchapova questions about her personal life and religious activity. The officers also wanted to know the names of other Witnesses in the area.

5/5/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Nizhnekamsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  District policeman V. Krasnov detained N. Kamzolova and O. Pakhomova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Although the women had their identification documents with them, he called a police unit to have the women taken to the police station. When the officers arrived, they took the women to the station, where they were interrogated.

5/4/2011

Belgorod

Aidar

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officer A. Udovichenko detained N. Pozdnyakov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while he was visiting one of his fellow believers. Udovichenko shoved Pozdnyakov into a police car and took him to the district police station, where he was interrogated.

5/4/2011

Belgorod

Aidar

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Police officers A. Udovichenko and Yu. Pereverzev detained Yu. Prokoptsova and O. Radkovskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers shoved the young women into a car and took them to the ROVD, where the women were interrogated and photographed. Then the officers inspected the contents of the women’s handbags and confiscated their religious literature. An administrative case was initiated against Prokoptsova and Radkovskaya under Article 6.8 of the Belgorod Region Law on Administrative Violations. The Witnesses were detained for over five hours.

5/4/2011

Ryazan

Sasovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search

+  Details–  V. Bibin, an inspector from the Ryazan City Housing Inspectorate, and T. Makarinkova, a representative of the local administration, came to an apartment where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. They called A. Yezhikov, the district policeman, to search the apartment. Yezhikov told one of the Witnesses who was present during the search that he came to find out what sort of events were being held there.

5/3/2011

Kemerovo

Osinniki

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At 10:25 p.m., an unidentified individual threw a rock at a window of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The rock broke the outer pane of the window. The Witnesses informed the police.

5/3/2011

Kirov

Kirov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers drove up in an unmarked car to meet Ye. Zykova and O. Kozlova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers did not identify themselves, and without explaining the reason for their actions, they took the Witnesses to the Novovyatskiy District ROVD of the city of Kirov. At the police station the officers interrogated them and fingerprinted Kozlova. The Witnesses filed a complaint against the police officers.

5/2/2011

Moscow

Solnechniy

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  While they were sharing their religious beliefs with others, G. Nazarova and T. Novoselova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, encountered a man who became aggressive. The man forcibly pushed the women down the stairs. Nazarova injured her foot and Novoselova injured her hip and broke one of her fingers. Then the man followed them out to the street while he continued cursing at them and threatening to harm them further.

5/1/2011

Ryazan

Shatsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained R. Voronkov and Ye. Zhuravleva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the police station, where they were interrogated and their religious literature was confiscated.

4/29/2011

Moscow

Stupino

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  District inspector S. Kraynev and another police officer came to the private home of a family who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Only their minor daughter was home at the time, so she told the police that she would not open the door. The officers threatened that if she did not open the door, they would plant narcotics in the yard. This frightened the girl, so she let them in. Upon entering, Kraynev told the girl that the police had been informed that their home was a “house of worship,” and therefore they had come to inspect it. The officers interrogated the girl about the religious activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since she could not answer their questions, she telephoned another Witness, who asked the policeman to issue a summons to come to the police station. The officers left after the telephone conversation.

4/29/2011

Primorskiy Territory

Yaroslavskiy

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  S. Tyumentsev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the police station in response to a summons. There he was informed that an administrative case had been initiated against him under Article 20.2(1) of the RF CAV. The charge was based on the allegation that he illegally conducted a religious meeting on April 17, 2011.

4/28/2011

Samara

Bolshaya Glushitsa

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police investigator A. Nefedov and two other officers detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Bolsheglushitskiy ROVD, where U. Asabayev, the district policeman, phoned the local Russian Orthodox priest and invited him to come to the police station to determine whether the Witnesses had the right to share their religious beliefs with others. However, the priest declined the invitation, saying that he was busy. Then, using profanity, Asabayev spoke abusively to the Witnesses about their religious activity.

4/27/2011

Moscow

Ivanteyevka

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A 12-year-old girl, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is a sixth-grade student at School No. 2. She informed her teacher, A. Danko, that she would not be able to participate in a program dedicated to the Victory Day celebration scheduled for May 9. She explained her politically neutral position based on Bible principles. As a result of her stand, her classmates mocked and insulted her. During recess the following day, one of her classmates brought an eighth-grade male student into the classroom. The bully took off his shoe, started poking it in the face of the Witness girl, and threatened to kill her. In trying to protect herself, the girl pushed the eighth-grader away, but he hit her hard in the temple with the heel of his shoe. When the school director, L. Zhdanova, learned of the matter, she said that the Witness girl was to blame. The girl did not receive first aid, and the school did not contact her parents.

4/27/2011

Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria

Nartkala

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, an F-1 military grenade was thrown into the courtyard of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The grenade’s pin had been pulled, but after hitting the door of the fire exit, it fell to the ground without exploding. Witnesses who were the night watchmen called the police. When the police arrived, the watchmen showed them a videotape from the surveillance equipment of the grenade being thrown from a passing car. Explosives experts were called in from Nalchik to detonate the grenade on the property. The experts covered the grenade with a 150-pound containment vessel and evacuated the residents from nearby homes. When they detonated the grenade, the blast was so strong that the containment vessel flew about 50 feet into the air. However, no one was injured. The following day, R. Arakhov, the chief of criminal police, called the Witnesses in to the station to speak with them. V. Avazov, the chief of public safety, was also present. However, the officers were more interested in questioning the Witnesses about the internal workings of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses and obtaining the names of its members than they were in investing the crime.

4/26/2011

Primorskiy Territory

Vladivostok

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two men who were drinking alcohol came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses just before it was about to begin. The men said they were police officers. Using profanity, and while they were drinking alcohol directly from a bottle, they threatened the Witnesses, stating, “Soon we will destroy all of you!” Since the men ignored requests to leave, the Witnesses called the criminal investigation department of the UVD. When the police arrived, they saw that the two men were their colleagues and tried to convince them to leave the premises. However, the men consented only after the police chief spoke to them. As they were leaving, they threatened the Witnesses again with violence.

4/25/2011

Belgorod

Belgorod

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers Yu. Kosarev and V. Anisimov detained L. Borzenkova and Ya. Ushitskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After the Witnesses presented their passports, they were ordered to accompany the officers to the 4th district police station. When the women refused, the police officers tried to take them forcibly. Finally, the officers forced the women into the police car and took them to the police station, where they were interrogated. The women were detained for approximately five hours.

4/25/2011

Vladimir

Urshel

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained R. Musin and M. Belik, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police took the Witnesses to the police station, where they were interrogated by an officer who behaved rudely and shouted at them. He demanded that they stop their religious activity and leave the village.

4/24/2011

Belgorod

Shebekino

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Ye. and V. Zvyagintsev, a married couple who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when they were detained by a rapid response OVD group that was armed with a submachine gun and led by A. Drachev. The response group took them to the OVD, where they were put in separate interrogation rooms. A. Tronov, an agent of criminal investigation, and OVD chief S. Bocharnikov interrogated each of the Witnesses about their religious beliefs for about four hours. Tronov did not allow them to call their lawyer and told them, “We still live in a democratic society. If it was 1937, we would put you up against that fence and shoot you!” Tronov frightened the Witnesses by locking them up in the same cell with drug addicts. An administrative case was initiated against Ye. Zvyagintsev under Article 6.8 of the Belgorod Region Administrative Code.

4/24/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  M. Yezhov and M. Vetlitskaya, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with people in an apartment building. One man became angry and began insulting them. The Witnesses apologized for disturbing him and immediately pressed the button to call the elevator so that they could leave. But the man became physically aggressive and began punching the Witnesses in the head. The blows split Yezhov’s eyebrow. On hearing the disturbance, some neighbors came out of their apartments and eventually persuaded the man to stop. When he did, the Witnesses were able to leave the apartment building.

4/24/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  V. Nikolayev and N. Rukovishnikova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with a young man who said in the course of conversation that he had spent a year in a Russian Orthodox monastery. However, when he realized that he was speaking to two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he threatened to beat them, and he began insulting them, using profanity. The Witnesses excused themselves and pressed the button to call the elevator so that they could leave. The Witnesses got into the elevator, but the man started hitting Nikolayev in the chest and face. Nikolayev fell to the floor, and the man continued to beat him. Rukovishnikova cried out for help. After this incident, Nikolayev went to the trauma center at Outpatient Clinic No. 86 and filed a complaint with the OVD.

4/24/2011

Orenburg

Novaya Aleksandrovka

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Two young men and a young woman came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was being conducted. One of the men tried to disrupt the meeting by shouting and using profanity. He demanded that the speaker stop his presentation and leave the building. The Witnesses tried to escort the intruders outside, since there were women and children present. However, when they got to the door, two more young men barged in and started to attack the male Witnesses. Ye. Tsatav, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, sustained minor injuries. The Witnesses were finally able to get the intruders out onto the street. When the police arrived, the intruders dispersed.

4/23/2011

Rostov

Chertkovo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officers detained T. Klimenko and her two minor daughters, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police took them to the OVD, where senior officer V. Butsenko and officer Ye. Savchenko interrogated them. They photographed and fingerprinted Klimenko and also inspected the contents of her handbag.

4/22/2011

Chelyabinsk

Karataban

Arson - Assault

Assault

+  Details–  A group of Jehovah’s Witnesses (D. Yeltyshev, N. Matyavina, N. Malysheva, G. Bogdanova, and S. Fedotenko) were sharing their religious beliefs with others when they encountered a young man who had been drinking alcohol. The man began following them and calling them names, using profanity. When the Witnesses tried to get away he grabbed Matyavina by the hand and threatened to shoot them all. Later, a friend of his drove up and demanded that the Witnesses show him crosses to prove that they were Christians. His friend then insulted the Witnesses and told them never to come back to the village.

4/22/2011

Ulyanovskaya

Pavlovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure

+  Details–  Police officers detained N. Yakvenko and I. Shilina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the police station, where they were interrogated by district policemen O. Mishin and M. Usmanov. One officer inspected the contents of their handbags, and then Mishin took a Bible from one of the Witnesses and left the room. He returned with a Russian Orthodox priest, who declared that “the Bible of Jehovah’s Witnesses is wrong.” Then the priest demanded that the Witnesses repeat the sentence “Jesus Christ is God.” Before leaving the room the priest told the Witnesses, “Repent, or you will die!” Then the police officers ordered the Witnesses to stop sharing their religious beliefs with others in the village.

4/21/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  A. Abasov, chief of Vasileostrovskoye district police department No. 16, detained S. Smirnova and S. Fazypova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He ordered the young women to show him their identification documents. Abasov pushed them into an unmarked car and drove off without an explanation. Smirnova tried to phone someone, but Abasov grabbed her cell phone and turned it off. While the car was stopped at a traffic light, the women called out for help. Passersby called the police. Soon after, a police unit arrived and took Smirnova and Fazypova to the Vasileostrovskoye district police department No. 16. There the women were detained for over three hours and were interrogated about their religious activity.

4/21/2011

Tver

Konakovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained two women who are Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld), while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. While in the police car on their way to the station, the officers insulted the women and threatened them, saying, “You would be better off working as prostitutes,” and also said to one of the women, “We’re going to throw one of you out of the car, and we will bury the other one.” At the police station, A. Tolstykh, senior officer of criminal investigation, photographed and fingerprinted the women. They were also questioned about their religious activity. Then the officers inspected the contents of their handbags and confiscated their religious literature.

4/20/2011

Sverdlovsk

Novouralsk

Actions by authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took a written statement from them on the spot. One of them, L. Simakhina, refused to sign her statement. Several days later, on April 27, Ye. Pluzhnikov, the district policeman, came to Simakhina’s home late at night and ordered her to sign the document. He also threatened to fine her and ordered her not to come into his territory again. He said that “the Russian Orthodox Church is collecting signatures to ban Jehovah’s Witnesses from preaching in this village.”

4/20/2011

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area

Noyabrsk

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Police entered an apartment where O. Zhukova and V. Yarinovich, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with some women whom those Witnesses had previously visited. The police detained the Witnesses, confiscated their religious literature, and took them to the Noyabrsk UVD. There the police interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity. On May 18, an administrative case had been initiated against Zhukova under Article 20.29 of the RF CAV.

4/19/2011

Kurgan

Shadrinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  An investigator from the prosecutor’s office and another man came to the home of A. Lubin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since Lubin was not home at the time, the men went to his workplace. They wanted him to provide information about two of his fellow believers, V. Ufimtseva and T. Krylova. On the same day, two officers came to a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings and asked similar questions about Ufimtseva and Krylova of some Witnesses who were in the building at the time. The officers also questioned a relative of Ufimtseva about Ufimtseva’s involvement with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

4/19/2011

Republic of Mordovia

Zubova Polyana

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained N. Khudoyan and N. Koposova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers accused the young women of theft, seized their passports, and rudely ordered them to go to the Zubova Polyana ROVD. The officers, using profanity, also ordered them to leave the village. When the women arrived at the police station, three people (officer O. Bassalayev, chief of the criminal department D. Pudov, and FSB agent I. Ivanov) inspected the contents of the women’s handbags and confiscated their religious literature. The police also fingerprinted and photographed the women. Then the officers interrogated them individually in separate rooms and, accompanied by a police unit, took the women to their home and searched the premises. The police confiscated all their religious literature and a laptop computer. After the search, the police took the women back to the police station, where they interrogated them again about their religious activity and personal lives. The Witnesses were detained for over 10 hours.

4/17/2011

Irkutsk

Cheremushki

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  L. Frolov, chief of the village administration, burst into the private home of the Afanasyev family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, while a religious meeting was in progress. More than 40 Witnesses, including children, were present. Frolov, who appeared to be an inebriated state, declared that he would do away with all of Jehovah’s Witnesses living in the territory of his administration. He then pulled out a revolver and shot at the ceiling. Then he aimed the gun at Mrs. Afanasyeva and said that he would kill her and burn her house down. The Witnesses filed a complaint with the police to initiate a criminal case against Frolov.

4/17/2011

Kemerovo

Listvyagi

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  S. Shistya, head of the Listvyagi territorial administration, four officers from the Kuybyshev OVD for the city of Novokuznetsk, and two attesting witnesses entered a building just after Jehovah’s Witnesses had concluded the annual religious meeting of the Memorial of Christ’s death. The police officers detained only the men who were wearing suit jackets and let everyone else go. One of the policemen took photographs of the premises and of the detained men and confiscated some of their religious literature. Then officer A. Shmyrev interrogated three Witnesses: Yu. Samonykin, M. Klimov, and D. Korostelev, after which they were charged with an administrative violation under Article 20.2 of the RF CAV. On May 26, 2011, the charges were dismissed for lack of evidence by the Justice of the Peace of Novokuznetsk Judicial Precinct No. 5 for the Kuybyshev District.

4/17/2011

Lipetsk

Dankov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Senior officer S. Videnin of the directorate for Fighting Organized Crime of the Dankov City Police Department and another man entered a private home just after Jehovah’s Witnesses had concluded the annual religious meeting of the Memorial of Christ’s death. The policemen stated that a woman named Yelena called them, claiming that she was being held there against her will. The Witnesses explained that a woman named Yelena, who appeared to be intoxicated, had come to the meeting and caused a disturbance, but no one held her against her will. According to eyewitnesses, Videnin was aggressive and threatened to call for backup. However, he eventually calmed down and left.

4/17/2011

Rostov

Taganrog

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  Police disrupted a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses while it was in progress and questioned those in attendance about their religious activity. The police left after taking written statements from approximately ten people. Over the next few days, the Witnesses who provided written statements were summoned for questioning. The officers of the investigation committee felt that members of the Taganrog LRO⁴ of Jehovah’s Witnesses did not have the right to worship freely. Yu. Baklushin, one of the Witnesses questioned, received an additional summons to appear at the Criminal Investigation Department under the Taganrog Police Department, where he was further questioned about the religious meeting.

4/17/2011

Rostov

Vesely

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Disruption of religious service | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers led by Major Samorodin burst into a building while Jehovah’s Witnesses were conducting the annual religious meeting of the Memorial of Christ’s death. The officers personally searched everyone in attendance, recorded their passport information, searched the premises, and confiscated religious literature, audio recordings, an electronic memory card from a camera, and a box containing contributions. Six of the Witnesses were interrogated until 1:00 a.m.

4/15/2011

Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  While they were sharing their religious beliefs with others, N. Rozova and another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses encountered an aggressive woman who insulted them and cursed at them, using profanity. The woman pushed them out of the apartment building’s entryway by grabbing their clothing and hair. She said that she was authorized to take this action because she was the chief of police. When the Witnesses called the police, the woman hid from them. Rozova subsequently filed a complaint with the Arkhangelsk UVD. However, district inspector I. Korotkova refused to accept it. Then Korotkova wrote a complaint herself, which did not correspond to the facts. Korotkova pressured Rozova to sign the new complaint. Then a district policeman joined Korotkova and attempted to pressure Rozova to sign the document, but she refused to do so.

4/15/2011

Zabaykalskiy Territory

Baley

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officers detained A. Antonov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while he was sharing his religious beliefs with others. The officers accused him of promoting extremism. They took him to the police station, where they inspected the contents of his briefcase. Upon not finding any banned literature, they released him.

4/14/2011

Krasnoyarsk

Norilsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Disruption of religious service

+  Details–  Police officers entered the apartment of Ye. Dobrovolskaya while a religious meeting was in progress and ordered her to present her identification documents. Then two more police officers arrived and ordered all the Witnesses to leave the apartment and threatened to call in a police unit. The Witnesses complied with the order and left.

4/13/2011

Bryansk

Novozybkov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  E. Zhinzhikov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, appeared at the Novozybkovskiy Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office in response to a summons over the phone. During the interrogation, Prosecutor V. Grigorashchenko alleged that Jehovah’s Witnesses are an extremist organization and then issued Zhinzhikov a warning, No. 54-FZ, declaring that violating the law on meetings and assemblies is not permitted. Grigorashchenko informed Zhinzhikov that he no longer has the right to conduct any religious meetings in rented facilities without informing the city authorities 15 days in advance. The local authorities then have 15 days to render a decision.

4/13/2011

Krasnodar

Gelendzhik

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  Ye. Prikop and M. Seleznev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with a man who asked them to wait for a few moments while he went back into his apartment. When he returned, he accused Prikop and Seleznev of distributing illegal literature. The man then showed the Witnesses his identification documents and said that he is a chief in the Cossack forces, which gave him the right to use physical force. Taking out his handgun, he released the safety, and took aim at Prikop and Seleznev in turn. The Witnesses were able to calm the man down, and he allowed them to leave. Later, on April 16, Prikop went to the police station to file a complaint. After the officer on duty heard the details of the incident, he told Prikop that if the Witnesses came to his house, he would kick them down the stairs. Another officer at the station recorded Prikop’s complaint.

4/13/2011

Lipetsk

Chaplygin

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search

+  Details–  Under the guise of being representatives of a gas company, two police officers entered the home of Z. Kulishova and L. Kaznovskaya, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. A. Yaichnikov, a district police officer, began questioning the women about their religious activity and that of other Witnesses living in the town. When the officers saw one of the women’s open purse with religious literature in it, they took out the literature and examined several of the publications. The police left after questioning the Witnesses.

4/13/2011

Republic of Bashkortostan

Starobaltachevo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained Yu. and V. Sadovnikov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police took them to the Baltachevskiy District Police Department, where district police officer Tazetdinov and operative Sabirov rudely demanded that the Witnesses stop sharing their religious beliefs with others and leave town. The officers threatened that they would deal with the Sadovnikovs in their own way if they refused to obey. When Yu. Sadovnikov stated that he had the right to disseminate his religious beliefs under Article 28 of the RF Constitution, the officers replied, “We have our own Constitution.”

4/13/2011

Sverdlovsk

Kamensk-Uralskiy

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  An unidentified man attacked N. Poltavskaya and G. Yatsenkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The man snuck up behind them, grabbed both of them by the neck, and pushed them down the stairs. After overtaking them on the landing, he grabbed them again, dragged them to the door, and pushed them out onto the street.

4/12/2011

Bryansk

Belaya Berezka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Ye. Korniyenko and M. Makarenkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the OVD to request permission to share their religious beliefs with others in the village. Police officers recorded their personal information and sent the Witnesses to the border service. There, they were detained and S. Maslov and I. Malakhevich interrogated the Witnesses about their personal life and religious activity. When FSB captain Ye. Pavshenko arrived, he interrogated the Witnesses again individually. After the interrogations, their request for a permit was refused. The Witnesses were detained for approximately seven hours.

4/11/2011

Republic of Buryatia

Severobaykalsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Law-enforcement officers climbed over the fence of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings and began to bang on the doors and windows. At the time, only N. Lebedeva, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was in the building with her young son. She was afraid to open the door, so she called another Witness. A few minutes later, three of Jehovah’s Witnesses arrived. The officers introduced themselves as police officer Mamedov, deputy prosecutor T. Tokarev, and FSB agent K. Kulev. When the Witnesses asked the officers why they had come, they said that they were inspecting all religious organizations for extremism and thus came to get acquainted with the Witnesses. The officers searched the building, interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity, and also questioned Lebedeva’s minor son regarding his favorite hobbies, whether he likes to attend religious meetings, and what his teacher thinks about his being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

4/11/2011

Republic of Komi

Inta

Arrest

Arrest | Detainment

+  Details–  An unidentified man approached A. Kozhevina (63 years old) and Ye. Tokaryeva (78 years old), two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The man asked for some religious publications. As soon as the Witnesses gave him the literature, the man stepped aside and then police officers, who were nearby, approached and detained the women. The police took them to the Inta Police Department and questioned them in separate rooms. The women were detained for approximately four hours. Two weeks later, on April 25, an administrative case was initiated against Kozhevina under Article 20.29 of the RF CAV. Kozhevina was summoned again to the prosecutor’s office on April 28, where M. Smirnova, assistant prosecutor of the city of Inta, initiated a new administrative case against her under Article 13.21 of the RF CAV.

4/11/2011

Volgograd

Yelan

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  G. Kherumov, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was summoned to appear at the Yelanskiy District Police Station. When Kherumov arrived, Police Chief V. Kurochko, and A. Khoroshevskiy, head of the criminal investigations department, questioned him about his private life. Kurochko swore and made inaccurate statements about Kherumov’s religious beliefs. Kurochko forbade Kherumov from sharing his religious beliefs with the local residents. Kurochko also stated that officials of the administrative district gave orders to the police to have discussions with Kherumov and with other Witnesses in order to stop their religious activity.

4/9/2011

Altay Territory

Malinovoye Ozero

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search

+  Details–  When L. Kondrashova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, returned home, she found two men speaking to her son, who is an invalid. Kondrashova asked the men why they were there. They replied that they were from the prosecutor’s office and wanted to speak to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then they asked Kondrashova questions about her religious activity and that of her fellow believers, specifically about the distribution of religious literature. The men inspected all her religious literature in her home and then left.

4/9/2011

Kurgan

Kurgan

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At 4:20 a.m., unidentified individuals broke two windows of a building where religious meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are held. The Witnesses reported the incident to the police.

4/8/2011

Sverdlovsk

Yekaterinburg

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Ye. Parshin, a criminal investigator, attempted to enter a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Parshin stated that the purpose was to conduct “an inspection for religious terrorism, at the order of the FSB.” A. Sukhoguzova and G. Lipich, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were in the building at the time, called an attorney and asked Parshin to wait outside until their attorney arrived. Parshin threatened to call a rapid response unit to break down the door. However, Parshin did not wait for their attorney to arrive and left the premises.

4/8/2011

Volgograd

Vyazovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two police officers and an unidentified man in civilian clothes came to the home of G. Kherumov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and questioned him about his religious activity and private life. They spoke rudely and cursed at him. When Kherumov asked the officers to identify themselves, only A. Golishevskiy, the senior investigator of the investigation department, did so. The officers and the man who came with them promised Kherumov that he would face problems and demanded that he leave the village. Finally, the officers issued Kherumov two summonses (one for another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses) to appear at the Yelanskiy District Police Station on April 11th.

4/7/2011

Arkhangelsk

Kizema

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  V. Sinitskiy, the community patrolman of the Criminal Investigation Department of the UVD, met Ye. Lobakova and Ye. Petrova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Sinitskiy asked them questions about their religious activity and got the Witnesses to agree to come to the police department to talk. The following day, agent D. Kazakov interrogated the Witnesses and took statements from them in the presence of the chief of the village administration. Then the officers inspected the women’s handbags and confiscated their religious literature. After copies of their passports were made, the Witnesses were released.

4/7/2011

Lipetsk

Zadonsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Krivorotov and D. Vavilov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when they were approached by Yu. Korovkov, an officer of the criminal investigations department. Korovkov demanded that they follow him to the Zadonskiy District Police Department. When they refused, Korovkov falsely stated that since Jehovah’s Witnesses were officially banned, they had to be taken to the police station to be photographed and fingerprinted. Krivorotov and Vavilov replied that they had already been detained and refused to go the station.

4/7/2011

Orenburg

Ilek

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  V. Zhilchenko and R. Volkov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, went to the FSB Border Directorate to obtain permits to stay in the area for a while. When the FSB Directorate learned that the reason Zhilchenko and Volkov wanted to stay in the area was to share their religious beliefs with others, the permits were denied. The FSB officers then detained Zhilchenko and Volkov and took them to the Ileskiy Municipal District Police Department for questioning. The police fingerprinted Zhilchenko, but when they prepared to fingerprint Volkov, he informed them that he would call an attorney to consult whether their actions were lawful. As a result, the police did not fingerprint Volkov and destroyed Zhilchenkov’s fingerprint card.

4/7/2011

Sverdlovsk

Ust'-Bayak

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  R. Mingaleyeva and M. Andryushina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were traveling to share their religious beliefs with others when their car got stuck in a rut. Three unidentified men approached them and demanded that they get out of the car. The men called the women sectarians and insulted them. Later, the head of the local administration arrived at the scene and told the women that the village residents were of another faith. The women were frightened and called the police, who arrived shortly thereafter. The women filed reports with the police. As the women were leaving town, one of the men pursued them in his car for a while in an apparent attempt to intimidate them.

4/7/2011

Voronezh

Voronezh

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  While they were sharing their religious beliefs with others, L. Shefler and A. Shchukina (75 years old), two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were approached by police officers Ya. Litovskiy and D. Danilov. The officers took the women to Voronezh Police Station No. 7. On the way to the station, Litovskiy called the women sectarians, made inaccurate statements about their religion, and cursed at them. At the police station, Litovskiy confiscated their religious literature and questioned them. The women were detained for over four hours.

4/6/2011

Krasnodar

Vasyurinskaya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A police officer approached A. Korotkov and M. Malumyan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He demanded that they leave and never distribute “extremist” literature there again. Although the Witnesses were not distributing literature at that time, the officer threatened them, stating that he could quickly find someone to prove that they did.

4/6/2011

Volgograd

Vyazovka

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  At approximately 10:00 p.m., G. Kherumov and S. Kolesnichenko, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, noticed that several unidentified individuals were in their backyard. They tried to leave the house through the front door, but someone had obstructed it from the outside. A few moments later, firecrackers exploded in the backyard. When the noise settled, the Witnesses again attempted to leave through the front door, but they discovered that the hinges on the door lock were blocked by a metal rod. The following day they called A. Kudryashov, a district police officer, and told him about the incident and that they could not exit their house. Kudryashov came to the house three hours after the phone call and instead of investigating the matter, he told Kherumov and Kolesnichenko that the local residents did not like them because they were different and did not fit in with others. Kudryashov questioned the Witnesses about their personal lives and then left.

4/5/2011

Lipetsk

Stanovoye

Arrest

Arrest

+  Details–  Police officers detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, G. Kotelnikova and Yu. Volskaya, who were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Stanovlyanskiy District Police Department, where the women were questioned by Senior Lieutenant V. Lobanov. After the questioning, A. Almazov, the senior district police officer, initiated an administrative case against Kotelnikova and Volskaya under Article 20.2(2) of the RF CAV. The officers further threatened to jail the women if they were caught sharing their religious beliefs with others again.

4/5/2011

Voronezh

Voronezh

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  From April 5 to April 12, 2011, several minors came to a building where religious meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses were held. They pushed the button on the intercom and ran when the watchman came. They also threw rocks and dirt at the building.

4/4/2011

Belgorod

Rovenki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A police car approached P. Dyrdo and N. Pozdnyakov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Police operative Yu. Tegnerev, who was in the police car and had detained Dyrdo and Pozdnyakov in the past, ordered them to leave town. He threatened and cursed at them.

4/4/2011

Lipetsk

Izmalkovo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  P. Kolesnikov, a senior operative, and M. Papanov, a district police officer, came to the home of Ye. Morozova and M. Semina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers detained the women and took them to the Izmalkovskiy District Police Department and questioned and fingerprinted them.

4/4/2011

Orlov

Bolkhov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Criminal investigation officers A. Klimenkov and S. Merkulov came to the apartment of T. Ilina and M. Vakhrusheva, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to check their identification documents. They questioned Ilina about her personal life and religious activity. Since Vakhrusheva was not there at the time, the officers telephoned her and ordered her to come to the police station in order to check her documents. When Vakhrusheva arrived, she was detained, interrogated, and her passport information was recorded.

4/3/2011

Republic of Adygea

Yablonovskiy

Actions by Public

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Ye. Romanenko and her 17-year-old daughter, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, met a man while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. When the man learned that the women were Jehovah’s Witnesses, he began insulting and cursing at them. He then punched Romanenko hard in the face and punched her daughter in the back. Romanenko sought medical attention the next day.

4/3/2011

Republic of Komi

Inta

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Officers of the traffic police post came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses and questioned V. Molokanov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They left after recording his name and telephone number. The next day, April 4, V. Preys, senior district police officer, called Molokanov and demanded that he come to the Inta Police Station to provide a statement about the religious meeting. Molokanov asked the officer to send him a summons. On April 5, after receiving his summons, Molokanov went to the police station, where he was questioned. On April 6, Preys phoned Molokanov and summoned him again. When Molokanov came to the police station he refused to provide a statement, citing his right under Article 51 of the RF Constitution.

4/1/2011

Orlov

Oryevo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  While they were sharing their religious beliefs with others, eight of Jehovah’s Witnesses were detained and taken to the Krasnozorenskiy District Police Department. Two of the Witnesses were taken into separate rooms, where a police officer screamed at them, stating that they were violating the RF Constitution by sharing their beliefs with others. The officer ordered A. Ivanov, a police major, to copy the passport information of three other Witnesses, after which Ivanov told all the Witnesses never to return to the area again.

4/1/2011

Sverdlovsk

Krasnoufimsk

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  M. Andryushina, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and an employee of a department for the private security services of the Krasnoufimsk Police Department, was forced to write a “voluntary” letter of resignation. According to the inspector of the personnel office, “higher police agencies” demanded Andryushina’s resignation because of her religion and her detainment on March 4, 2011, by a police officer for sharing her religious beliefs with others.

3/31/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Zainsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Two police officers approached two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers called Ye. Taryshkin, a district police officer. When Taryshkin arrived, he demanded that the Witnesses follow him to the police station. When the Witnesses asked which law they violated, Taryshkin searched their bags, questioned them, and then released them.

3/31/2011

Ryazan

Skopin

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Senior Lieutenant M. Semenov and another police officer arrived at the establishment where three of Jehovah’s Witnesses, A. Kirillov, I. Borisenko, and N. Fadeyev, were performing alternative civilian service. Without providing a reason, the officers demanded that the Witnesses go to the Skopinskiy District Police Department, where Semenov questioned and photographed them. When the Witnesses asked why they were being subjected to this, Semenov responded that they were suspected of stealing a telephone while distributing religious literature. The police officers did not make a written record of the proceedings.

3/31/2011

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area

Noviy Urengoy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Ye. Dovanov and another police officer detained V. Koshkin and A. Brekhova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Noviy Urengoy Police Department, where on-duty investigator A. Nikiforov confiscated their religious literature without the presence of attesting witnesses. Koshkin’s bag was also searched. Brekhova was later taken to another room for questioning. Afterward, both Witnesses were taken to the FSB, where they were questioned again, this time by Major M. Noskov and operative A. Sanochkin. Koshkin was detained for more than three hours, and Brekhova was detained for almost four and a half hours.

3/30/2011

Voronezh

Kantemirovka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search

+  Details–  O. Sedykh, head of the Kantemirovka District Police Department, detained O. Yasenovskaya and another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (name withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The women were taken to the police station, where they were questioned and their bags were searched. The next day, March 31, O. Chistyakov, a district police officer, came to the home of one of the Witnesses and questioned her and her husband.

3/30/2011

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area

Noviy Urengoy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  S. Kuzhiyev and other private security services officers detained V. Koshkin and Ye. Filippov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Noviy Urengoy Police Station, where Senior Lieutenant Z. Mikeladze questioned them. Their bags were searched, and all their religious literature, their Bibles, and some of their personal items were confiscated. Koshkin and Filppov were then taken to the FSB, where they were again questioned, this time by [police] Major M. Noskov and operative A. Sanochkin. The Witnesses were released after being detained for more than six hours.

3/29/2011

Belgorod

Rovenki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police Operative Yu. Tegnerev approached P. Dyrdo and P. Pozdnyakov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Tegnerev got out of his car and rudely ordered the Witnesses to leave.

3/29/2011

Rostov

Shakhty

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search

+  Details–  A woman indentifying herself as a bank employee telephoned A. Bagdasaryan, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and asked him to come to the bank office to clear up a misunderstanding. When Bagdasaryan arrived at the bank, no one knew anything about the phone call or that there was a problem with his account. Unexpectedly, Senior Lieutenant D. Goncharov approached Bagdasaryan and checked his documents, informing him that a crime had been committed in the area. Under the threat of force and without further explanation, Goncharov ordered Bagdasaryan to go to Police Station No. 3 of the Police Directorate for the city of Shakhty. At the station, he was ordered to empty his pockets. Then Goncharov came behind Bagdasaryan to search him. During the pat down, some printed materials suddenly fell to the floor, to the surprise of Bagdasaryan, since he was not carrying any literature. Goncharov immediately told the attesting witnesses that the literature fell from under Bagdasaryan’s shirt. They were publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses that are on the List of Extremist Materials. Bagdasaryan was later able to telephone some fellow Witnesses who then contacted the Directorate of Internal Security of the regional police headquarters, after which he was released. Bagdasaryan was detained for approximately three hours.

3/29/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Baley

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 11:00 a.m., D. Dogadin, who is an agent of the RF FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and two other representatives of law-enforcement agencies came to the home of V. and L. Bzovi, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers searched the apartment and confiscated religious literature and personal items.

3/29/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Baley

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 3:00 p.m., D. Dogadin, agent of the RF FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and two other representatives of law-enforcement agencies came to the apartment of V. and T. Saranchuk, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers searched the apartment and confiscated religious literature and personal items.

3/29/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Baley

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:00 a.m., D. Dogadin, who is an agent of the RF FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and two other representatives of law-enforcement agencies came to the apartment of the Antonov family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers came while A. Antonov was at work and only his wife and their three-year-old invalid child were at home. The law-enforcement officers entered the apartment without permission. They searched the premises and confiscated all of the Antonovs’ religious literature.

3/28/2011

Chelyabinsk

Verkhniy Ufaley

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained M. Kyrchanov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, after he finished sharing his religious beliefs with others. The officers told him that he was suspected of committing fraud and took him to the police station. When Kyrchanov arrived at the station, Major F. Donov, senior operative of criminal investigation, and several other police officers interrogated him. Threatening a strip search and without explaining his rights, the officers ordered Kyrchanov to empty his pockets and briefcase. The police confiscated his religious literature and detained him for four and a half hours. Kyrchanov was summoned to the police station again, on March 31, for further questioning.

3/26/2011

Tver

Torzhok

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  At the beginning of the school year, Mr. and Mrs. Sargash, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, wrote a letter to V. Feoktistov, the director of the school where their 12-year-old son attends. The letter requested that their son be excused from the “Fundamentals of Russian Orthodox Culture” (FROC) class, and they stated that requiring attendance for the class violated the principle of the secular character of education in Russia as enshrined in Article 2 of the RF Law on Education, and Article 3.5 of the Federal Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations. In exercising this right, the parents chose the subject “Fundamentals of Secular Ethics” for their son. The director of the school informed the parents that he would speak personally to their son’s teacher and that the boy would not receive a failing grade. But the teacher, A. Salova, gave the boy a failing grade and stated, “We are not studying religion; we are studying culture. You have no right to choose, since the President of the RF has ordered that FROC be studied. Take it to court if you want to.” The director of the school suggested that the parents send their boy to another school to resolve the problem.

3/25/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Mendeleyevsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Junior Sergeant M. Nikonov and two other police officers detained A. Dzyunzik and T. Vinnikova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers recorded their passport information and took them to the Mendeleyevsk Municipal District Police Department, where Vinnikova was photographed. They were detained for approximately three hours.

3/23/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Agryz

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  A young man telephoned Ye. Khaliullina, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, after receiving a letter she had written to him in which she shared her religious beliefs. He suggested that they meet to continue the conversation. At the appointed time, senior police officer R. Yuzikayev was there to meet Khaliullina. He took her to the OVD, where she was interrogated about the letter and her religious beliefs.

3/21/2011

Moscow

Sergiyev Posad

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Siezure

+  Details–  A police officer approached T. Barysheva (69 years old) and A. Borodina (71 years old), two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After seizing their passports, the police officer detained them and took them to the Sergiyev Posad Municipal District Police Department, where they were questioned regarding their religious activity. After the questioning, their passports were returned and they were allowed to leave.

3/20/2011

Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Prior to holding a regularly scheduled religious meeting, Jehovah’s Witnesses met with the administration of a rented facility. Officers from the UVD, FSB agents, and CCE representatives were also present. The Witnesses explained the purpose of the event. However, while the meeting was in progress, police officers arrived, and an administrative case was initiated against N. Ter-Avanesov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, under Article 20.2(1) of the RF CAV.

3/20/2011

Republic of Bashkortostan

Verkhniye Tatyshly

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Two police officers detained A. Agafonova and A. Starovoytova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were walking along the street after they had finished sharing their beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Tatyshlyskiy District Police Department, where they were questioned separately and treated rudely. The police would not allow them to call anyone for legal assistance. When Agafonova tried to record the names of one of the officers, he tore the page from her notebook. They were ordered to stop talking to the residents of the village about their religious beliefs. Agafonova and Starovoytova were detained for approximately three hours.

3/19/2011

Chelyabinsk

Kunashak

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers stopped four of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Kunashakskiy Municipal District Police Department, where they were interrogated, photographed, and fingerprinted. The police examined the contents of their bags and confiscated their religious literature, including their Bibles. The Witnesses were detained for three hours.

3/18/2011

Kemerovo

Novokuznetsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  N. Tereshkin, chief of criminal investigation of the Novokuznetsk police department, came to the home of S. Sushilnikov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. After citing an order of Mr. Vasiliyev, the deputy chief of the regional UVD, Tereshkin interrogated Sushilnikov about the activity of the LRO.

3/18/2011

Moscow

Istra

Actions by Authorities

Disruption of religious service | Harassment by authorities | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Captain A. Shablin, Lieutenant Colonel D. Komkov, and nine other police officers disrupted a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses. After demanding that the Witnesses stop the meeting, the police began recording the names of everyone in attendance. They examined the contents of everyone’s briefcase or purse and confiscated religious literature from several individuals. Shablin then stepped onto the stage and demanded that everyone in attendance separate into two groups: those who had their documents on one side and those who did not on the other. Then the police documented everyone’s last name and home address. The search was performed without a court order or informing the Witnesses of their rights. However, the officers referred to an order from N. Golovkin, head of the regional police headquarters, with regard to taking preventive measures against Jehovah’s Witnesses, which included searching for banned literature and inspecting passports for violations.

3/18/2011

Sverdlovsk

Kushva

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  I. Katayev, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sharing his religious beliefs with a young man. The young man began to insult and curse at Katayev. About two weeks later, on April 5, as Katayev was returning home, he saw the same young man with two of his friends. As they walked by Katayev, the young man shouted, “Baptist!” Katayev did not reply but just kept walking. The men caught up with him and asked, “Are you a Baptist?” Katayev replied that he is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then the men used profanity as they yelled at Katayev and cursed Jehovah’s Witnesses. One of them then took a gold cross from around his neck and demanded that Katayev kiss it. When Katayev refused, they beat him. After they left, Katayev sought medical treatment.

3/17/2011

Moscow

Ivanteyevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Sergeant P. Kopylov and another police officer detained Ye. Zharinova and M. Kuryatnikova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the women to the Ivanteyevka Police Department, where operative S. Nemigalov and criminal investigation officer O. Mironov interrogated them in separate rooms. When Kuryatnikova cited her rights under Article 28 of the RF Constitution, Nemigalov screamed at her and threatened to keep both her and Zharinova in a cell overnight. The officers told them that “Article 28 of the Constitution applies only to Orthodox [believers], and Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect.” They also said, “The European Court is nonsense—we have our own Ivanteyevka court.” Thereafter, the women were thoroughly searched. The officers confiscated several of Zharinova’s and Kuryatnikova’s personal items along with their religious literature and Bibles. The women were detained for four and a half hours.

3/17/2011

Sverdlovsk

Bolshoy Istok

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  O. Votevym, deputy head of the Sysertsk City Police Department, approached two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld), while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Votevym detained the Witnesses and called for a police detail. When the detail arrived, they and Votevym took the Witnesses to the Sysertsk City Police Department, where they were taken to separate rooms. While one of the Witnesses (a 17-year-old) was waiting for her mother to arrive, the police officers questioned the other Witness in another room. His bag was searched, and the officers confiscated his notebook and religious literature, including his Bible. When the 17-year-old’s mother arrived, the girl was questioned with her mother present. The police officers insulted her, saying that she was “inadequate” and was “turned into a zombie” because she refused to give statements without an attorney present. The Witnesses were detained for over three hours.

3/17/2011

Volgograd

Volzhskiy

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, A. Kazaryan and a 13-year-old, were sharing their religious beliefs with others. A man who was approximately 20 years old walked by and began insulting them with profanity and threw clods of mud at them. When the Witnesses tried to get away, he overtook them and threw mud all over them. He pulled Kazaryan’s hat off and put mud on her head, then grabbed the religious brochures she was holding and ripped them to pieces.

3/16/2011

Moscow

Dubna

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search

+  Details–  Nine police officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses just after it had concluded. One of the officers, M. Dubovoy, demanded that the Witnesses show their documents while the other officers blocked the exit. The police searched the building, photographed religious literature, and videotaped the proceedings. Two of the Witnesses in attendance were taken to their homes, since they did not have their identification documents with them. Dubovoy later explained that he was acting under orders of V. Nuzhdin, the chief of the second division of the Moscow Region CCE.

3/16/2011

Ulyanovskaya

Novospasskoye

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  V. Shumkin, deputy chairman of the municipal urban settlement, demanded to see the identification documents of S. and A. Budylin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He then called district policeman O. Aleksandrov, who took the Budylins to the ROVD, where they were interrogated. The police threatened to initiate an administrative case against them if they continued to share their religious beliefs with others in the settlement.

3/15/2011

Saratov

Novouzensk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Petriv and A. Gruzdeva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, met D. Konyukhov, the chief of criminal investigation, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. When Konyukhov recognized Petriv, whom he had interrogated at the OVD on March 12, 2011, Konyukhov again demanded that they stop their religious activity. He insulted them, calling them cultists, and threatened to arrest them.

3/13/2011

Bashkortostan

Neftekamsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  A police officer came to a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses after it had just concluded. The officer approached D. Fedotov, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and asked him a number of questions about the religious meeting. The officer informed Fedotov that he was performing an inspection based on a complaint from the city’s residents. The officer also questioned D. Popov, another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and then left. The following day, Fedotov was summoned by telephone to the Neftekamsk Police Directorate, where he was questioned again, photographed, and fingerprinted.

3/13/2011

Sverdlovsk

Achit

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Senior sergeant A. Stamikov and another police officer approached R. Mingaleyeva and L. Chudinova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After recording the women’s passport information, the officers demanded that the women stop their religious activity. The officers also threatened to initiate an administrative case against the women if they continued sharing their religious beliefs with others in the village.

3/12/2011

Saratov

Novouzensk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Senior lieutenant A. Dontsov approached V. and A. Petriv, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Dontsov detained the Witnesses and took them to the Novouzensk OVD. At the station, lieutenant Dontsov, department chief V. Timoshin, and chief of criminal investigation D. Konyukhov interrogated them and demanded that they stop speaking to others about their beliefs. Then senior lieutenant R. Komiasov confiscated their religious literature. However, the officers refused to give the Petrivs copies of the protocols of interrogation or of the literature confiscation. The Petrivs were released after being detained for four hours.

3/12/2011

Sverdlovsk

Kamensk-Uralskiy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A police officer arrived at the home of N. Sulimova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He questioned her about her religious activity.

3/11/2011

Arkhangelsk

Novodvinsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Senior Lieutenant E. Klimov and another police officer of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate detained A. Lopin and another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (name withheld), while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Novodvinsk Police Department, where they were questioned by V. Boretskiy, an operative of the criminal investigation department. They were detained for three hours.

3/10/2011

Nizhegorod

Nizhniy Novgorod

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  Unidentified individuals wrote graffiti on the walls of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

3/10/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Muslyumovo

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Agent I. Bakiyev detained E. Gatiyatulina and L. Garipova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Bakiyev took the Witnesses to the Muslyumovo OVD, where he and R. Samatov interrogated them. During the initial interrogation, the contents of the women’s handbags were inspected. The titles of the religious publications in their possession were compared with the publications on the Federal List of Extremist Materials. Gatiyatulina and Garipova were interrogated again in separate rooms. They were released after being detained for three hours.

3/9/2011

Belgorod

Rovenki

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A police officer detained P. Dyrdo and N. Pozdnyakov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs others. The officer took the Witnesses to the Rostov Regional OVD for the Rovenskaya Region, where agent Yu. Tegnerev interrogated them individually. Tegnerev demanded that the Witnesses leave the village.

3/9/2011

Krasnodar

Zhuravskaya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Shubnikov and V. Morozkin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others when a police officer arrived. The officer ordered the Witnesses to leave the village, and threatened that if they did not leave, their conversation with the officer would continue “in another place.” After saying this, the officer left.

3/8/2011

Sverdlovsk

Kamensk-Uralskiy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Rakhmangulov, inspector of a separate battalion of the Police Patrol Department under the Kamensk-Uralskiy Police Department, and other police officers approached N. Sulimova and R. Galiullin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The law-enforcement officials recorded their passport information and then left.

3/5/2011

Moscow

Serebryannye Prudy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Warrant Officer Ilya Valentinovich and another police officer detained O. Kolchina and Ye. Martynenkova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Serebryannye Prudy Municipal District Police Department. Along the way, Valentinovich referred to orders he received to detain Jehovah’s Witnesses and to forbid them to preach. When they arrived at the police station, Kolchina and Martynenkova were photographed and interrogated by A. Gerasimov, the deputy chief of criminal investigation, and three other law-enforcement officers. When Martynenkova’s husband, who is also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the police station to see his wife, the police interrogated him as well. After the police copied his passport information, they released the three Witnesses. Several hours later Kolchina returned to the police station with E. Yershova, another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to obtain a copy of the detainment protocol. The police refused to give Kolchina a copy of the protocol and then recorded Yershova’s passport information.

3/4/2011

Moscow

Mytishchi

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Seizure

+  Details–  Police officers detained R. Adzhoyev and N. Kostyuk, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the City Police Department No. 2 of the Mytishchenskiy District Police Directorate. The police photographed them and seized their passports. After detaining them for two hours, the police returned their passports and released them.

3/4/2011

Rostov

Leninskiy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Discrimination

+  Details–  Ye. Rybalkina and R. Ridush, inspectors from the Juvenile Services Inspectorate of the OVD, along with the director of the local school, burst unannounced into the home of a woman who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses when only her minor children were there. Without their mothers’ knowledge, the frightened children were interrogated about their faith and were forced to sign some documents. The inspectors also photographed religious literature they found in the home. When one of the children said that she had the right to refuse to answer questions, Rybalkina stated, “I have the right to put you away in an orphanage!” After learning of the incident, the children’s mother met with the school director to find out why he and the inspectors took this action. The director shrugged his shoulders and refused to reply.

3/4/2011

Sverdlovsk

Krasnoufimsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officer V. Abrosimov detained I. Romana and M. Andryushina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, after they had shared their religious beliefs with others. Abrosimov took the Witnesses to the OVD for the urban district of Krasnoufimsk, where he interrogated them and inspected Romana’s handbag.

3/3/2011

Belgorod

Rovenki

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search, Seizure | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Sergeant A. Tverdokhlebov detained P. Dyrdo and N. Pozdnyakov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Tverdokhlebov took the Witnesses to the Rovenskiy District OVD, where he searched Dyrdo’s briefcase without a protocol or attesting witnesses. Both Dyrdo and Pozdnyakov were then interrogated individually by agent Yu. Tegnerev. During Pozdnyakov’s interrogation, the chief of the criminal investigation unit entered the room and ordered Pozdnyakov to leave the village. The chief told him, “If you don’t leave, we will take you outside the village and kill you, and no one will even think about you again.” After Dyrdo succeeded in contacting the UVD Internal Anti-Corruption Department, the police returned the Witnesses’ passports and released them.

3/1/2011

Astrakhan

Noviy Rychan

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers approached D. Mokryakov and M. Ayrapetyan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police checked the Witnesses’ documents and demanded that they go with the officers to the Volodar Region OVD. There, Senior Agent of the Volodar Region OVD Criminal Investigation Department of the Criminal Police, A. Braliyeva, and the district police chief interrogated Mokryakov and Ayrapetyan. The officers threatened them with criminal prosecution and told them never to come back to the village.

2/28/2011

Altay Territory

Kulunda

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  A. and T. Burykin, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Kulunda District of the Altay Territory in response to a summons. The Burykins were issued a warning declaring that engaging in extremist activity is in violation of the law.

2/25/2011

Krasnodar Territory

Severskaya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  V. Kochura, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the Severskaya District OVD in response to a summons. He was issued a warning for engaging in extremist activity in connection with the religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses planned for February 27. Kochura was later summoned to the Severskaya Distinct Prosecutor’s Office where A. Kirienko, the deputy prosecutor, interrogated him.

2/25/2011

Sverdlovsk

Nizhniy Tagil

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  V. Baranova and R. Furkado, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, passed by a man in the hallway of an apartment building while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. As the Witnesses walked up to the third floor, the man approached and began insulting them. He then grabbed Baranova and Furkado by their clothes and dragged them back down to the first floor. He hit them several times on the neck and hands, and he shoved Baranova so hard that she hit a wall and fell down. The women needed medical treatment for their injuries.

2/24/2011

Rostov

Novoshakhtinsk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals shot an air gun at a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The assailants fired at least 15 shots, shattering six windows.

2/24/2011

Smolensk

Smolensk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Sadkov, the district police chief, came to a home where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. Only I. Kryukova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses but not the homeowner, was there at the time. Sadkov threatened Kryukova with detainment if she did not provide a written statement explaining why she was in the building. Kryukova informed Sadkov of her constitutional rights and refused to give a statement. Sadkov then recorded her passport information and left.

2/23/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Leninogorsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Two police officers approached R. Zaydullina and V. Nurgalieva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers inspected the Witnesses’ documents and demanded that they follow the officers to the Main ROVD for Leninogorsk. There, A. Galimov, senior lieutenant for criminal investigation, inspected the contents of the handbag of one of the Witnesses and questioned the Witnesses about their personal life and religious activity. The police confiscated their religious literature.

2/21/2011

Moscow

Taldom

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. They were taken to the Taldom Municipal District Police Department, where they were photographed and interrogated individually by V. Yemelyanov, the deputy chief of criminal investigation.

2/21/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Arsk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  R. Latinov and G. Gabdrakhmanova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to the Arsk OVD in response to a summons. Inspector I. Iskhakov questioned them about their personal and religious life and about other Jehovah’s Witnesses living in that city.

2/20/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Arsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Police chief I. Iskhakov and deputy police chief R. Ibragimov came to the home of I. Gaynetdinova and M. Boyeshtyan, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers recorded the women’s passport information and interrogated them and two of their guests, who are also Jehovah’s Witnesses. Later that evening, Iskhakov served all four women with a summons to appear for questioning at the Arsk OVD.

2/19/2011

Kostroma

Nerekhta

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Four police officers detained Ya. Pavlov and O. Iskakova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the Nerekhta OVD, where I. Titov, chief criminal investigator of the UVD for the Nerekhta police department, and Yu. Zhukov questioned them about their personal lives and religious activity. During the questioning, Zhukov insulted and demeaned the Witnesses. Officers inspected Pavlov’s book bag and confiscated his religious literature. Pavlov was also issued a summons. Both Witnesses were photographed and released after being detained for three and a half hours. Three days later, on February 22, a man telephoned Iskakova and demanded that she report to the police station. When she arrived, she was accused of imposing her religious beliefs on others. An officer wrote a protocol for her for violating the administrative code.

2/19/2011

Tyumen

Tyumen

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At approximately 10:00 p.m., unidentified individuals painted two signs stating: “BE CAREFUL—THIS IS A SECT!” on separate areas of a building where a religious service of Jehovah’s Witnesses was being held. Each letter was half a meter long and painted in red.

2/16/2011

Krasnodar

Arnavir

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  Unidentified individuals wrote graffiti containing religiously and nationalistically motivated threats of violence, including neo-Nazi symbols, on the fence of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings.

2/15/2011

Moscow

Zaprudnya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  N. Chernikova, district police chief for the Zaprudnya City Police Department OVD, came to the home of L. Borovkova and her daughter N. Zhukova, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to deliver a summons to report for interrogation. Since they were home at the time, Chernikova interrogated them on the spot, asking them questions about their personal lives and religious activity.

2/15/2011

Saratov

Arkadak

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Siezure

+  Details–  A police officer approached Ye. Galdin and D. Tikhonchuk, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officer seized Galdin’s passport and demanded that both of them follow him to the Arkadskiy Municipal District Police Department. When the Witnesses asked to see his official identification, the officer replied: “You can demand your rights when a law about the police is passed.” At the police station, the officer seized Tikhonchuk’s passport. Then officer Davidov and O. Kupakhov, deputy head of the police department, rudely questioned them. Kupakhov made photocopies of their insurance certificates and of Galdin’s driver’s license and vehicle registration card. Kupakhov threatened to call for an Orthodox priest to come and “rebaptize” the Witnesses and then demanded that they leave town immediately and never return.

2/13/2011

Altay Territory

Kulunda

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police detained A. and T. Burykin, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the Kulunda District OVD, where they were interrogated by officers I. Litvin and A. Semenchuk. The police then took the Burykins to their home and made them hand over all their religious literature. Then A. Burykin was brought back to the OVD for further interrogation. He was detained over five hours.

2/11/2011

Chelyabinsk

Zlatoust

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A 15-year-old Jehovah’s Witness was waiting at streetcar stop when a former classmate approached him. After a short conversation, the former classmate suddenly shoved the Witness to the ground and began punching him in the face until friends of the former classmate pulled him off of the Witness. Prior to this, the former classmate had often verbally abused the Witness.

2/11/2011

Republic of Tatarstan

Naberezhniye Chelny

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A. Shirina and A. Marshalova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others in an apartment building. As the women were walking up to the fifth floor, a man came out of his apartment onto the staircase landing and started insulting them. He hit Marshalova very hard in the head. He went back into his apartment, but he came out again after a few seconds and grabbed Marshalova by the hood of her coat. He threatened both Witnesses, saying that he would throw them over the fifth-floor railing. At that moment, a woman came out of the apartment. She also insulted the Witnesses and led the man back inside.

2/11/2011

Rostov

Yegorlykskaya

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Police officers detained S. Timko and S. Gyurdzhan, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers cursed at the Witnesses and took them to the police station, where they were photographed and their religious literature was confiscated.

2/11/2011

Smolensk

Gagarin

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search and seizure

+  Details–  Police officer D. Rodin detained N. Ebeling and D. Desyatkov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After seizing their passports, he took Ebeling and Desyatkov to the police station, where they were photographed, fingerprinted, and interrogated individually. The contents of Desyatkov’s briefcase were inspected. The titles of the religious publications that the Witnesses had with them were compared with those on the Federal List of Extremist Materials. The police returned their passports and allowed them to leave.

2/9/2011

Sverdlovsk

Beryozovskiy

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Officer O. Golovko detained O. Butorina and K. Androsova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. Golovko took the Witnesses to the GOVD³, where they were interrogated. During the interrogation, R. Fomin, chief of criminal investigation, pressured Butorina to be fingerprinted and photographed and to provide information about her religious beliefs.

2/8/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Beginning at 6:00 a.m., a group of law-enforcement officers, including S. Skvortsov, senior agent of the FSB, and A. Tsvikalov, agent of the CCE directly reporting to the Astrakhan Region OVD, searched the home of A. Kosyanenko and A. Perchenko, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated all their religious literature and some personal items. The officers photographed Kosyanenko and Perchenko and questioned them about their personal life and religious activity. After the search was over at 11:30 a.m., Kosyanenko and Perchenko were taken to the investigation department, where they were detained for four more hours.

2/8/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 6:30 a.m., without knocking or permission, B. Fomenkov, investigator of the Akhtubinsk Interdistrict Investigation Department, and other law-enforcement officers entered the home of the Dmitriev family, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, to conduct a search. The officers confiscated all the religious literature and some personal items belonging to the family. The Dmitrievs were detained for seven hours, after which V. Dmitriev was taken to the investigation department, where he was detained for an additional five hours.

2/8/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 6:40 a.m., Ye. Sozonov, agent of the FSB for the Astrakhan Region of the city of Akhtubinsk, and A. Parkhomin, senior agent of the FSB for the Astrakhan Region, searched the home of Ye. Grigoryeva, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated all her religious literature and some personal items. When the search was over at 12:30 p.m., they took Grigoryeva to the investigation department and interrogated her. She was released at 5:00 p.m.

2/8/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 9:00 a.m., a group of law-enforcement officers, accompanied by S. Skvortsov, senior agent of the FSB, and S. Khalimov, investigator of the Akhtubinsk Interdistrict Investigation Department, without knocking or permission, entered the home of one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, V. Dobrovolskaya, to conduct a search. The officers confiscated all her religious literature and some personal items. Dobrovolskaya was interrogated about her personal life and religious activity.

2/8/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Law-enforcement officers who refused to introduce themselves searched the apartment of G. Korshunova, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They confiscated her religious literature and other personal items, such as photographs, notebooks, and DVDs. The officers behaved very rudely, they used profanity, and they demeaned Jehovah’s Witnesses in general, even threatening to plant narcotics on them. The search lasted over seven hours.

2/8/2011

Astrakhan

Akhtubinsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  O. Moroz, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came home to find six strangers in her apartment. They were searching the home and throwing her religious literature in a pile. She later learned that among those conducting the search were senior investigator T. Mukashev and senior agent A. Borkhanin, both of the Astrakhan Region FSB Directorate. The officers questioned Moroz about her personal life and religious beliefs. They confiscated all her religious literature and some personal items. Moroz was served with a summons to appear the next day, February 9, at the Akhtubinsk City Prosecutor’s Office.

2/8/2011

Sverdlovsk

Kamensk-Uralskiy

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  An unidentified woman attacked N. Vedernikova (61 years old) and K. Ponomaryova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their beliefs with people living in a large apartment building. After denigrating the Witnesses with profanity, the woman struck Vedernikova in the head with her handbag, punched Ponomaryova in the head, and attempted to throw her down the stairs. Ponomaryova quickly grabbed the handrail, which kept her from falling.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:00 a.m., M. Matveyev, agent of the FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and A. Novikov, agent of the UVD for the Zabaykalsky Territory, were accompanied by other law-enforcement officers when they searched the apartment of V. and I. Reshetkov, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated the Reshetkovs’ religious literature and personal items, including documents and a laptop computer. The search lasted over five hours. After the search, the Reshetkovs were taken to the law-enforcement agency, where V. Reshetkov was interrogated.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:20 a.m., investigator Pankratov and other law-enforcement officers searched the home of M. and Ye. Kolupay, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a computer, M. Kolupay’s passport, and other personal items. Then M. Kolupay was taken to the law-enforcement agency, where he was interrogated about his personal life and religious activity.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:20 a.m., law-enforcement officers accompanied M. Koktyshev, senior investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and V. Plesovskiy, agent of the FSB department for the Zabaykalsky Territory, when they searched the apartment of A. Yakovlev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, a computer system, and electronic memory cards. The search lasted approximately six hours, after which the Witnesses were taken to the law-enforcement agency and interrogated.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:30 a.m., three officials (V. Dyachenko, criminal investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, M. Panagin, senior agent for the FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and S. Solovyov, agent of the CCE of the UVD for the Zabaykalsky Territory) and three other men searched the home of I. and N. Bakin, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature and personal items, including mobile telephones, a PDA, and notebooks. In addition, religious literature and personal items (two laptop computers, a camera, and an external hard drive) were confiscated from A. and Ya. Popovich, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses and who were visiting the Bakins at the time. The search lasted for approximately four hours, after which both couples were taken to the CCE of the UVD for the Zabaykalsky Territory and were interrogated.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:35 a.m., a group of law-enforcement officers, including A. Markelov, criminal investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and D. Klemenkov, agent of the CCE UVD, entered the home of a married couple who are Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld). The officers confiscated religious literature, a computer system unit, and personal items. The search lasted more than eight hours. Then the husband was taken to the law-enforcement agency, where he was questioned about his personal life and religious activity.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:35 a.m., three officials (O. Bocharov, senior criminal investigator in the Zabaykalsky Territory, P. Chechel, senior agent of the CCE of the UVD for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and P. Kryukov, agent of the FSB department for the Zabaykalsky Territory) and other law-enforcement officers searched the home of A. Anufriyev, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Religious literature, including Bibles, as well as a laptop computer, documents, and other personal items, were confiscated. After the search was completed, Anufriyev was taken to the law-enforcement agency and interrogated for approximately three hours.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:40 a.m., I. Shishkarev, senior investigator, and FSB agent D. Biryulin were accompanied by at least two other officers when they entered the home of a man and his mother who are Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld). The officers conducted a search and confiscated religious literature, telephones, a laptop computer, a computer system unit, and other personal items. Additionally, the officers confiscated the laptop computer of another Witness (name withheld), who happened to be visiting when the officers came for the search. After the search, which lasted over five hours, the Witnesses were taken to the law-enforcement agency and interrogated. Because of the stress caused by these events, the mother, who is disabled (category III disability), experienced a spike in her blood pressure, resulting in a severe headache. The officers refused to allow her to return home despite her request. The Witnesses were finally released at approximately 6:00 p.m.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  P. Kalitnikov, investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and other law-enforcement officers searched the home of a man and his mother (names withheld) who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature, DVDs, documents, and other personal items. The search lasted for six hours. During the entire period, the officers did not allow the mother to take her medicine, despite the fact that she has a category II disability and her condition continued to worsen. After the search was completed, the man was taken to the CCE of the UVD for the Zabaykalsky Territory and was interrogated.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 7:00 a.m., A. Morozov, senior criminal investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and other law-enforcement officers accompanied by other individuals searched the home of a family (name withheld) who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated religious literature and some personal items, such as notebooks, telephones, memory cards, and a computer system. The minor children, who were at home at the time, were frightened by the incident. During the search, which lasted about eight hours, members of the family were questioned about their personal life and religious activity.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:30 a.m., D. Dogadin, agent of the FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and R. Bzimakin, agent of the CCE, along with three other officers, searched the apartment of A. and L. Raitin, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The officers confiscated items belonging to the Raitins, including religious literature, a camera, a computer system unit, and other personal items. The officers also confiscated personal items belonging to A. Volkov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was visiting the Raitins at the time. The officers then took the three Witnesses to the police station and interrogated them. They were released at 6:00 p.m.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  At 7:40 a.m., D. Vozyanskiy, senior criminal investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and V. Plotnikov, agent of the FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, along with four other officers, came to the home of V. and L. Gnoyevoy, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. At the time, only their daughter, Yu. Gnoyevaya was home. The officers searched the apartment and confiscated religious literature, including Bibles, DVDs, and personal items. A plastic portfolio containing the personal savings of the Gnoyevoys was also confiscated. The contents of the portfolio were not examined or entered into the protocol. After the search, which lasted about seven hours, their daughter was detained and taken to the police station and interrogated.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Search and seizure | Detainment | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  When O. Podgrushin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to visit his friends, the police were conducting a search of their home. A. Bukhtoyarov, investigator for the Zabaykalsky Territory, and D. Solomin, senior agent for the OVD FSB for the Zabaykalsky Territory, checked Podgrushin’s identity documents. The officers detained Podgrushin and escorted him to his apartment. Without a court order, the officers then searched Podgrushin’s apartment and confiscated his religious literature, a notebook, a telephone, digital memory cards, and other items. After the search, Podgrushin was taken to the police station, where the police copied his passport and interrogated him.

2/8/2011

Zabaykalsky Territory

Chita

Actions by Authorities

Search | Confiscation of literature by authorities

+  Details–  Law-enforcement officers searched the home of one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They confiscated personal items and religious literature.

2/6/2011

Sverdlovsk

Achit

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A. Nevolin, the deputy district policeman, approached R. Mingaleyeva and L. Chudinova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He demanded that they get into his car and come with him to the OVD. However, the women asked him to inform them of the legal basis for detaining them, since they had not committed a crime. Therefore, Nevolin interrogated them on the spot and took written statements from them.

2/4/2011

Tomsk

Asino

Actions by Public

Vandalism | Harassment by public

+  Details–  During the night, two men who were drinking alcohol came to a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings. The men threw a bottle at the building and broke a window. Previously, on the night of January 22, two unidentified men had come onto the property and demanded that the guard open the door and explain the legal basis for hanging the sign “Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses” on the building.

2/3/2011

Moscow

Moscow

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  While Yu. Belyakova and Z. Kozhina, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with others in an apartment building, an unidentified man came out of his apartment and pepper sprayed Belyakova. She sought emergency medical aid after the incident.

2/3/2011

Tyuman

Tyuman

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  An unidentified man attacked Yu. Ognenkova and Z. Ubartene, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their beliefs with others. The man ripped Ubartene’s Bible out of her hands and pushed her down the stairs, and then he kicked Ogenenkova in the back. Fearing for their lives, the women quickly left the building, but the man overtook them and continued screaming insults at them.

2/2/2011

Sakha (Yakutia) Republic

Lensk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  I. Ivashin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was summoned to the prosecutor’s office for the Leninskiy District of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, where he was issued a warning declaring that engaging in extremist activity is not permitted. Three months earlier, on October 22, 2010, V. Mikhaylov, an FSB operative, came to Ivashin’s home and questioned him about his religious activity.

2/1/2011

Stavropol

Arzgir

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  O. Levchenko, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received a letter from I. Demin, the lieutenant colonel of the criminal police of the OVD for the Arzgirskiy District. The letter ordered Levchenko to provide information regarding other Jehovah’s Witnesses in the region.

1/31/2011

Ivanovo

Shuya

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Several police officers detained D. Prytkov and Ye. Kormilitsyna, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking their documents, the officers took the Witnesses to the OVD for the urban district of Shuya and the Shuyskiy District and interrogated them.

1/30/2011

Lipetsk

Zadonsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained D. Vavilov and A. Krivorotov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took them to the OVD and photographed and interrogated them. The officers threatened Vavilov and Krivorotov that if they did not leave Zadonsk, the officers would trump up charges, find false witnesses, and put Vavilov and Krivorotov in pre-trial detention.

1/30/2011

Sverdlovsk

Achit

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  V. Samsonov, senior lieutenant and commander of the police patrol service department, and V. Murzinov, an officer in a separate battalion of the police patrol service, approached L. Chudinova and R. Mingaleva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers threatened to use physical force on the women and then escorted them to the Achit ROVD to take statements from them.

1/28/2011

Orenburg

Orsk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, an unidentified individual fired a gun at a building that Jehovah’s Witnesses use for religious meetings. The bullet broke a window, but no one was injured.

1/28/2011

Sverdlovsk

Yekaterinburg

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police chief K. Fomkin detained A. Zhenin and N. Starikova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. After checking the Witnesses’ documents, he took them to the OVD. There, police officers interrogated them and pressured Zhenin to reveal information about his personal life and religious beliefs.

1/27/2011

Moscow

Mikhnevo

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  At approximately 10:00 p.m., police officer S. Gachin, police captain A. Kirichenko and district policeman A. Bondar came to the Cheglakov family home (who are Jehovah’s Witnesses) to question them under the pretense of wanting to get to know the family better. During the interrogation, the officers asked questions about their religious activity and the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They also wanted the Cheglakovs to provide the names of other Witnesses they knew.

1/27/2011

Sverdlovsk

Ust'-Bayak

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  A group of unidentified men approached four of Jehovah’s Witnesses (V. Yegorochkin, A. Yazovskiy, I. Sterkhov, and I. Roman) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. One of the men began to threaten the Witnesses and struck Yegorochkin in the chest. Another man grabbed Yazovskiy by his jacket and threatened to harm him physically. Fearing for their well-being, the Witnesses left the village.

1/25/2011

Belgorod

Valuyki

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  At 6:00 p.m., police officers A. Nikitin and E. Kuznetsov, deputy prosecutor S. Shapovalov, and other law-enforcement officers came to a building that Jehovah’s Witnesses use for religious meetings. They conducted an unscheduled fire safety inspection, which they recorded on videotape. Because of the inspection, the religious meeting scheduled for the evening was delayed.

1/25/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Arson - Assault

Assault and battery

+  Details–  L. Kolosova and L. Golovanova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs others when a man came out of the entryway of a large apartment building and started yelling at them. He struck Golovanova in the face, splitting her lip. Golovanova fell to the ground and broke her hand.

1/21/2011

Primorskiy Territory

Khmelnitskoye

Arson - Assault

Assault with a weapon

+  Details–  R. Beketova (71 years old), one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sharing her religious beliefs with others when she encountered a young man named P. Baranovskiy. When he found out that she was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he attacked her and knocked her to the ground. Then he repeatedly waved a hatchet at her, threatened to kill her, and told her to leave the village.

1/20/2011

Penza

Nizhniy Lomov

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  S. Tyumin, a senior police lieutenant, came to the home of A. and O. Karatygin, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Tyumin showed the Karatygins an order dated January 17, 2011, No. 86, from the Nizhnelomovskiy District administration ordering district policemen to conduct an inspection of citizens who are Jehovah’s Witnesses who live at the 22 Lermontov Street address. Tyumin demanded that the Karatygins accompany him to the police station. There the police recorded their passport information and questioned them about their personal life and religious activity.

1/18/2011

Moscow

Balashikha

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  During the night, unidentified individuals wrote the phrase “We don’t need you here!!!!!” on a building where religious meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are held. The Witnesses reported the matter to the police.

1/17/2011

Republic of Bashkortostan

Dyurtyuli

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  R. Khabibullin, chief of criminal investigation, along with the chief of the department for the war on extremism, stopped V. Karimov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while he was sharing his religious beliefs with others. The officers forbade Karimov to talk to others about his beliefs and threatened that if he continued, the police might “happen to find” narcotics or a firearm on him.

1/15/2011

Lipetsk

Lipetsk

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  Unidentified individuals smashed the front gate of a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses hold religious meetings and tore down two street lights. The Witnesses filed a criminal complaint with the police.

1/15/2011

Lipetsk

Zadonsk

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained K. Vavilov and A. Krivorotov, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the Witnesses to the OVD and fingerprinted and photographed them. The officers made a veiled threat in stating that the reason why they were conducting these procedures was in case they may one day need to identify Vavilov’s and Krivorotov’s dead bodies.

1/14/2011

Stavropol Territory

Pravokumskoye

Actions by Public

Harassment by authorities | Harassment by public

+  Details–  A local priest and an official from the local administration approached A. Beloglazova and O. Zhilo, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The priest and the official questioned the Witnesses about their religious activity. Then the priest began shouting through a megaphone, using abusive speech.

1/11/2011

Chelyabinsk

Ust-Katav

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers detained I. Sedinkin, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while he was sharing his religious beliefs with others and took him to the police station, where officer Ye. Lazarev and A. Konovalov, the chief of criminal police, interrogated Sedinkin about his religious activity. The officers forbade him to share his religious beliefs with others in Ust-Katav and threatened to do serious harm to him if he continues to do so.

1/10/2011

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Police officers detained T. Zhaglova and a 16-year-old girl, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The officers took the women to the police station, where they were subjected to a body search and their personal belongings were inspected. Zhaglova was interrogated, fingerprinted, and photographed.

1/9/2011

Vladimir

Gus-Khrustalniy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police chief G. Tishchenko and police lieutenant Ye. Minkovskiy, along with other officers, detained two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. The police took the Witnesses to the Gus-Khrustalniy UVD and questioned them about their personal life and religious beliefs.

1/8/2011

Stavropol Territory

Pravokumskoye

Arson - Assault

Assault

+  Details–  A priest of the local Russian Orthodox Church approached L. Kuchavo and N. Pylayev, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and verbally abused them. The priest threatened to harm them physically and then grabbed and ripped a handbag of one of the Witnesses.

1/4/2011

Bryansk

Karachev

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Search

+  Details–  A. Artyomov and S. Shagova, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were sharing their religious beliefs with residents of an apartment building when a man came out of his apartment and introduced himself as law-enforcement officer N. Antonov. After checking the Witnesses’ documents, Antonov called a police unit, who soon came and took the Witnesses to the police station. There, A. Grigoriv, the chief of criminal police, interrogated the Witnesses about their religious activity and searched their personal belongings and religious literature. Artyomov was fingerprinted and photographed. Shagova was released after being detained for more than five hours, and Artyomov was released after being detained for approximately eight hours.

1/1/2011

Volgograd

Volgograd

Actions by Public

Vandalism

+  Details–  At 2:45 a.m., two unidentified men threw stones at a building where religious meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are held. They damaged the siding on the front of the building and smashed a light above the entrance. One of the attackers verbally threatened the Witnesses during the incident.

12/31/2010

Kalmyk Republic

Komsomolskiy

Actions by Authorities

Detainment

+  Details–  Police officers approached two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld), while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others and demanded to see their identification documents. The officers took the Witnesses to the police station, where the police made copies of their passports and took statements from them. The Witnesses were detained for approximately three hours.

12/29/2010

Sverdlovsk

Nizhniy Tagil

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by public | Detainment | Search and seizure

+  Details–  A man approached Ye. Chusovitin and V. Zvolskiy, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with residents of an apartment building. The man introduced himself as the superintendent and then began asking questions about their religious activity. Later, police officers arrived and took Chusovitin and Zvolskiy to the duty station of the Police Patrol-Guard Service. There, the superintendent filed a complaint against them, stating that they were disturbing the residents. After their documents were checked, Chusovitin and Zvolskiy were sent to the Leninskiy District Police Department of the city of Nizhniy Tagil, where they were photographed and questioned. One of them was searched and his personal belongings were seized.

12/25/2010

Stavrapol Territory

Pravokumskoye

Actions by Public

Harassment by public

+  Details–  A local priest approached T. Parshina and N. Sycheva, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while they were sharing their religious beliefs with others. He called the women “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” a “terrible sect” and other offensive names. He threatened them, stating that the Cossacks would whip them to prevent them from returning.

12/23/2010

Bashkortostan Republic

Neftekamsk

Actions by Public

Discrimination

+  Details–  The supervising professor at the Neftekamsk branch of the Bashkir State University attempted to persuade a student, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to “leave this sect.” The professor said that the dean and the administration of the university would expel her if they found out that she is a Witness.

12/23/2010

Saratov

Novouzensk

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  Two police officers came to the home of V. Petriv, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. One of the officers, Major D. Konyukhov, began asking Petriv questions abobsp;Ismagilov from the CCE, a representative of the FSB named Damir, and other law-enforcement officers entered a building where a religious service of Jehovah’s Witnesses was being held. The officers videotaped and photographed those in attendance and questioned some of them. Later, on December 28, 2010, an administrative case was initiated against M. Shevchenkoas under Article 20.2(1) of the RF CAV, even though he was not at the religious meeting and did not organize the meeting.

12/11/2010

Udmurtia

Alnashi

Actions by Authorities

Detainment | Harassment by authorities

+  Details–  A police officer approached two of Jehovah’s Witnesses (names withheld) while they were sharing their religious beliefs with an individual. The officer interrupted their conversation, threatened the Witnesses, and then called the police station. The two Witnesses were detained by the chief of police, A. Spiridonov, who recorded their passport information and interrogated them regarding their personal life and religious activity.

12/9/2010

Tambov

Tokarevka

Actions by Authorities

Harassment by authorities | Detainment | Search

+  Details–  Senior agent R. Strizhev and another police officer came to the home of T. Alekseyenko and Ye. Smetanina, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. S. Babasiyev, who is also a Witness, was visiting at the time. The officers demanded that the three Witnesses accompany them to the police station for the purpose of confirming their identity, even though Strizhev already knew Alekseyenko and Smetanina, since he had detained them just a few days before. The Witnesses asked Strizhev to issue them a summons instead of having them go to the station immediately. Strizhev refused and called for a police unit. When the police unit arrived, E. Aleksandrovich, a criminal investigations deputy, told the Witnesses that they could either accompany him to the police station at that time or be there on their own at 2:00 p.m. The Witnesses chose to be there at the designated time. The police photocopied their passp