Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

A Criminal Case Initiated in Cherkessk Against Vladimir Fomin who Has a Disability. He Was Placed in a Detention Center

Karachay-Cherkessia

On March 21, 2024, Vladimir Fomin, 44, one of Jehovah's Witnesses with a disability, was sent to a temporary detention facility in Cherkessk. A criminal case has been initiated against him under two articles for extremism. During the hearing regarding preventive measure, he lost consciousness and an ambulance had to be called.

A month earlier, on February 21, the home of Vladimir Fomin and his wife was searched. Electronic devices and data carriers were seized from them.

The believer is charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. The case was initiated by Aslan Shabanov, senior investigator of the Cherkessk Investigative Committee. On March 23, the Cherkessk City Court imposed pre-trial detention on Fomin.

The reason for initiating the criminal case against Fomin was an incident related to the case of Menchikova, a resident of Cherkessk who earlier had been convicted for her faith. The charges against Vladimir were based on conversations about the Bible with a woman, which the investigation deemed to be involving others in the activity of a banned organization.

The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk

Case History
In February 2024, Vladimir Fomin, who has a group II disability, was searched. A criminal case was initiated against him for participation in the activities of an extremist community and involvement in it. A month later, the court took the believer into custody, despite his state of health. The accusation was based on Fomin’s conversations about the Bible, which the investigation considered to be involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. In March 2025, the court sentenced Vladimir to 4 years and 6 months in a penal colony.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Karachay-Cherkessia
Locality:
Cherkessk
Suspected of:
"involved [a local resident] by carrying out preaching activities, conducting classes ... on the study of the basics of the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, which took place in the period from October 2019 to April 2023 in a residential building" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)
Court case number:
12402910002000040
Initiated:
March 21, 2024
Current case stage:
verdict did not take effect
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-98/2025 (1-529/2024)
Court of First Instance:
Cherkessk City Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic
Judge:
Sapar Baychorov
Case History
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