In Volgograd, Four Believers Were Detained for 2 Months

On May 18, 2019, the judge of the Central District Court of Volgograd, Andrey Oleynikov, decided to send four civilians who were detained during a raid on believers on May 16, 2019, to a pre-trial detention center for two months. Valery Rogozin, Sergei Melnik, Igor Egozaryan and Vyacheslav Osipov were sent to prison only because the authorities consider them Jehovah's Witnesses. All four are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in extremist activities.

Ivan Valkovsky, whose detention was reported earlier, was released on the same day. Information about the detention of D. Peresunko and V. Tarasov (81 years old) was subsequently not confirmed. Surveillance, summons and interrogations of believers in the city continue.