From Husband to Wife, From Father to Son: Security Forces Initiate Cases Against Entire Families of Jehovah's Witnesses
Since 2018, Russian law enforcement officers have increasingly initiated criminal cases, firstly against one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and then against a member of his family. By the end of November 2023, at least 71 families in 35 regions of the Russian Federation became easy prey for security forces under this scheme.
The first such case occurred in Vladivostok, when Dmitriy Barmakin was arrested. His wife Yelena was first released, with the threat that she "will be next" and "will be arrested just like her husband." And so it happened: 11 months later, Yelena became a defendant in a separate criminal case for her faith in God. With time, the successive prosecution of relatives has developed into a trend.
Criminal "Conveyer"
In most instances, investigators take as a basis the wording from the RF CrC, as well as the federal laws on "Counteracting Extremist Activity" and on "Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations". The investigation equates religious actions (singing, praying, reading the Bible) that are not prohibited by law with extremism, calling it "continuing" or "organizing the activity of a liquidated legal entity" — the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses or a local religious organization. However, the cases lack facts of criminal actions and motives of hate required to qualify as extremism. There are also no victims in the case materials, nor are there any negative consequences for citizens or the state. Law enforcement officers focus on "evidence" of the accused's religion, which he does not hide anyway, as a result of which there is an easy opportunity to initiate cases in large numbers, especially when there are several Jehovah's Witnesses in the family.
So in the summer of 2021, the court sent Rostov resident Aleksandr Parkov to a penal colony for 6.5 years, and gave his wife Galina a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months. I.A. Kalnitskiy, Major of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated separate criminal cases against the married couple in the space of 2 weeks. Galina was accused of "praying together with her husband in order to promote the activity of an extremist organization." She commented: "There is a substitution of concepts: the religious life of an individual is exhibited as the activity of a banned legal entity."
In 2022, a court ruling in Saransk, sent a couple, Yelena and Georgiy Nikulin, to penal colonies for the same period of 4 years and 2 months. The investigation was conducted by Ye.V. Makeyev, an FSB investigator who, back in 2003—2004, was "interested" in the Bible and, together with his wife, attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The only "guilt" of the believers is talking about God.
One Investigator for All Cases. Amur Region
For some law enforcement officers, the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses becomes a real "gold mine". For example, in 2019-2020, FSB investigator V.S. Obukhov initiated criminal cases against 5 men — Anton Olshevskiy, Sergey Yermilov, Konstantin Moiseyenko, Dmitriy Golik and Yevgeniy Bitusov. In 2021, the investigator switched to their wives — Yekaterina Olshevskaya, Valentina Yermilova, Margarita Moiseyenko, Kristina Golik—and Bitusov's older sister, Yelena Yatsyk.
Investigator Obukhov conducts all 9 criminal cases against 23 believers from Blagoveshchensk, Belogorsk, Zeya and Tynda.
Career Lift. Chelyabinsk Region
The prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is sometimes accompanied by the career advancement of investigators. For example, from 2019 to 2021, Aleksandr Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, took 6 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses to court. During this period, his rank changed from lieutenant colonel to colonel.
In total, 11 residents aged 45 to 76 living in Chelyabinsk, Asha and Snezhinsk have suffered from groundless prosecution in the region. Among them is a married couple Suvorov, who were already over 70 when the criminal case was initiated. Chepenko charged Valentina with extremism for participating in a Bible reading with a group of friends. A year later, the prosecution of her husband Vladimir began. He was accused of organizing meetings at which he and his wife "prayed to Jehovah God and sang religious songs."
Criminal Cases in Jewish Autonomous Region
A surge in criminal cases in Birobidzhan occurred in 2018, when security forces conducted a special operation called "Judgment Day". Mass searches were carried out in the homes of families of Jehovah's Witnesses. For two years, FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin conducted investigations against 11 men. But on February 6, 2020, in one day, he initiated 6 criminal cases against their wives at the same time — Natalya Kriger, Tatyana Zagulina, Anastasiya Guzeva, Agnessa Postnikova, Anna Lokhvitskaya, and Artur Lokhvitsky's mother, Irina Lokhvitskaya.
On the day of Yevgeniy Yegorov's wedding, in September 2019, investigator Yankin charged the young man with extremism, and initiated a criminal case against his mother, Larisa Artamonova. A day later, Yankin also initiated a case against Svetlana Monis, the wife of Alam Aliyev. The total number of cases in the region reached 19, but even surveillance of the believers did not record a single fact of illegal activity.
Provided Husband with "Apartment for Meetings". Penza Region
On July 15, 2018, the Alushkins had guests. Suddenly, 11 armed police officers burst into their home. Vladimir was arrested and spent more than 1 year in custody. The investigation explained the meeting with friends as follows: Alushkin "organized a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses at the place he was living with T.S. Alushkina," and his wife Tatyana "provided the apartment she legally owned the said meeting." Therefore, in February 2019, she also came under investigation. These arguments were enough for Judge Roman Tanchenko to separate the family by imposing severe punishment on the couple: 6 years in a penal colony for Vladimir and a 2-year suspended sentence for Tatyana. However, the court of appeal changed the imprisonment to a suspended sentence.
According to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, "all activity in which Alushkin and other Jehovah's Witnesses participated are absolutely peaceful religious discussions."
From Parents to Children
In the Primorskiy Territory, the Investigative Committee of Russia was actively involved in the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses. Following the above-mentioned Barmakins, Olga Opaleva, 66, from Spassk-Dalniy was charged for her faith. On the eve of the search, she had a heart attack, and later, on the way to court, a stroke. The left side of her body was paralyzed, and an electronic tag was put on her right leg. After 11 months, investigator Ye.S. Marvanyuk initiated a case against her son Vitaly Ilinykh for his faith. The essence of the accusation boils down to one thing: mother and son believe in Jehovah God.
Oleg Sergeyev from Luchegorsk was prosecuted for his faith 2 years after the prosecution of his 64-year-old father, Sergey Sergeyev, began. The case materials stated that Oleg and Sergey remained "spiritual leaders" who continued to communicate with other believers on religious topics.
In April 2019, A. Pachuyev, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case against Valentina Baranovskaya and her son Roman, accusing them of participating in and organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The search, investigation, and subsequent trial caused the elderly believer a lot of stress. Valentina suffered a stroke. Because of this, the trial was interrupted, but resumed about six months later. Judge Yelena Shcherbakova found the believers guilty and sentenced Roman to 6 years in a penal colony and Valentina to 2 years. At 70, she became the first female Jehovah's Witness in Russia to be imprisoned. On May 4, 2022, Valentina was released. Roman continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony.
"Family Case" on Sakhalin
In this region, three members of the Kulakov family were prosecuted in succession for their Christian beliefs. First, FSB investigator D.S. Melnikov initiated a case against the father of the family, Sergey, then, 8 months later, the oldest son Dmitriy became one of the suspects, and after another 7 months, Sergey's wife Tatyana also fell under investigation.
Prosecution of Relatives who are not Jehovah's Witnesses
This region is notorious for having a student, Darya Dulova, 18, as a prisoner of conscience, against whom Vladimir Sudin, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a case a year after her mother Venera. After the court acquitted the defendants in the case, the Dulovs and Aleksandr Pryanikov, the same investigator initiated another criminal case, adding to the defendants Pryanikov's wife Anastasiya and the Zalyayev couple. In the case of the latter, charges were also brought against Svetlana Zalyayeva's husband, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Родственные связи как фактор риска. Краснодарский край
In April 2020, officers from two agencies—the FSB and the Investigative Committee—raided believers in two villages, Kholmskaya and Pavlovskaya. Among the law enforcement officers involved were FSB investigator Captain of Justice O. Komissarov and investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Lev Galustyants.
Komissarov initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Ivshin, 62, which led to a harsh sentence of 7.5 years in prison for discussing the Bible with fellow believers via the Internet. Just a month later, Galustyants opened a criminal case against Ivshin's son-in-law, Aleksandr Nikolayev. As a result, the father of five children was separated from his family, sentenced to real imprisonment for participating in Christian worship.
Danil Suvorov, 25, from Sochi, also ended up behind bars for talking about the Bible. Six months later, his elder brother Denis became a suspect in a criminal case on the same basis. In conversations with people about the Holy Scriptures, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Andrianov saw "extremism", although the examination did not reveal anything extremist.
The Deshko family faced a similar situation. At first, in April 2019, Yevgeniy, 30, from Smolensk ended up behind bars. Just a month before the verdict was passed, Yevgeniy's father, Vladimir, was also thrown into a pretrial detention center in Sochi. Both father and son received suspended sentences for talking about the Bible.
Children and Grandchildren of Exhonorated Persons
The parents and grandparents of some of Jehovah's Witnesses who are facing prosecution in modern Russia, went through repression during the days of the Soviet Union. In the 1950s, as part of Operation "North", many Jehovah's Witnesses were exiled to Siberia.
Brothers Aleksandr and Mikhail Shevchuk are fourth generation Jehovah's Witnesses. Today they are being persecuted for their beliefs just like their grandparents, who were exiled to Siberia for their faith in God. While Aleksandr was filing an appeal, V.A. Makeyeva, investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism against his older brother, Mikhail. She deemed the friendly meetings of believers to be a crime.
Viktor Ursu's father, grandfather and great-grandfather from Dzhankoi (Crimea) went through Soviet repression for their faith, and now it's Victor's turn. In July 2023, after mass searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, he became a defendant in a criminal case for extremism.
The Propaganda and Rates
The following families have faced restriction of freedom: Bagratyan, Avanesov (father and son), Ivanov will be in penal colonies until 2024 (Olga) and 2027 (Yevgeniy), Sushilnikov, Martynov, the Verkhoturov, Gushchin, the Piskarev, Kuzo and many others. All cases are based on their faith in Jehovah God. Sometimes the reason for a criminal case is the recording of a conversation between relatives not only about God, but even just about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.
"The only "guilt" of the believers is that the name of their religion is the phrase "Jehovah's Witnesses", which propaganda methodically surrounds with myths and conjectures about a threat to society. Although the Russian authorities have repeatedly asserted that this religion is not banned, the number of criminal cases is growing, the rates of disclosure of "crimes" are increasing, but with them the lives of loved ones are collapsing," Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses commented on the situation in Russia.