Case of Shishkin in Prokopyevsk

Early in the morning, Vasily and Irina Shishkin are searched. After that, the believers are taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. There, the couple learn that they have been followed for two years, and a wiretapping has been installed in their house.

A criminal case was opened against Vasiliy under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization), he was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Investigative actions are led by the senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Prokopyevsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass Rafig Gambarov.

Viktoria Ortner, judge of the Rudnichny District Court of Prokopyevsk, places Shishkin under house arrest.

The case goes to the Rudnichny District Court of Prokopyevsk. It will be considered by Judge Elena Zarubina.

Listeners are not allowed to the hearings, so those who came to support Vasily Shishkin remain near the courthouse. At the trial, the believer states his attitude to the accusation and declares that he does not admit guilt.

Two witnesses are interrogated at the hearing, one of them is the defendant's brother. He reports that despite their differences in religious views, they maintain good relations, and Vasily did not call for undermining the foundations of the constitutional order or state security.

The second witness states that he has not heard any negative statements from Shishkin about people of other faiths.

Another witness - an operational officer - does not appear in court, so his testimony is read out.

Giving evidence in court, Vasily Shishkin states that no illegal actions were committed at the meetings for worship at which he was present — the believers only discussed religious issues and studied the Bible. The prosecution does not provide evidence that there was propaganda of the exclusivity and superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Vasily notes: "Your Honor, as a lawyer, you should know that not only the recognition of your faith as correct and true, but also criticism of other faiths is permissible and is not considered as incitement to hatred and enmity, but I did not even do this."

The defendant recalls that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses — believers are still free to gather together.