In August 2017, it became known that in the village of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against a 54-year-old local resident, Yuriy Zalipaev, under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("incitement to hatred or enmity"). The believer faces up to 5 years in prison.
From the decision to initiate a criminal case, signed by senior investigator A. Kodzokov, it follows that in 2016 Yuriy Zalipaev allegedly distributed 3 copies of the magazine "Awake!" for August 2009 with the title "Discrimination and prejudice: the root and solution of the problem".
In fact, in 2016, believers unsuccessfully tried to prove to the Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria that these copies of the magazine "Awake!" were planted by them in a worship building. During the service, the lights went out in the building and more than 20 law enforcement officers, led by an FSB officer, invaded it without explanation. Under the threat of force, some of the believers were blocked in the premises, and electronic devices were confiscated from them. Law enforcement officers in the dark began inspecting the premises. When the lights were turned on, the police pointed out to the believers the publications included in the FSEM, which were lying on a bench next to an employee in camouflage uniform. Despite the fact that video recordings were carefully seized from the believers, they managed to keep videos proving that there were no publications on the bench before the start of the search. However, in November 2016, the court of the village of Maisky was critical of these videos and imposed a fine of 200,000 rubles on the community. Less than a year later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against one of the believers, Yuri Zalipaev.
Yuri Viktorovich Zalipaev is a respected head of the family, husband and father, who has been known as a decent believer for 25 years.
In 2010, the magazine "Awake!", which Yuriy Zalipayev is unreasonably accused of distributing, was included in the FSEM under number 757 on the basis of the decision of the Kemerovo District Court, which considered the article "The Point of View of the Bible: Should Believers Be Divided into Clergy and Laity?" as extremism.
This is the second similar case in the republic: the Prokhladnensky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria is hearing a case against 69-year-old Jehovah's Witness Arkadi Hakobyan. According to the prosecution, Arkady Akopovich Hakobyan made a speech in which the dignity of persons of other religions was allegedly humiliated, and instructed those present to distribute prohibited literature. He was charged under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Earlier, Arkadya Hakobyan appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring to justice those who gave knowingly false testimony on which the charges were based.
