Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Olga Klyuchikova issues permission to search the house of 54-year-old believer Igor Prityko. A petition for a search is made by Lieutenant Colonel of Justice of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Ivan Nenko.
Igor Prityko and other Birobidzhan residents are being searched. Electronic devices, flash drives and a system unit are seized from the couple Prityko. The search, which lasts more than 5 hours, is carried out by FSB operative Major M. N. Makeev.
Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Svetlana Zemtsova allows a new search in the house of Igor Prityko. This is requested by the senior investigator-criminalist of the FSB Dmitry Yankin.
At about 8 am, a group of law enforcement officers led by FSB Major M.N. Makeev bursts into the courtyard of Igor Prityko's house to conduct a search that lasts 3 hours. Phones, a hard drive, 20 optical disks, a laptop and personal records are confiscated from the believer.
A criminal case is initiated against Igor Prityko. It is the 23rd case against Jehovah's Witnesses in this region.
Igor Prityko is being interrogated as a suspect. The interrogation of the believer is conducted by Captain of Justice, Denis Yemelyanenko, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region.
Igor Prityko's wife, Natalya, is summoned for interrogation.
The case is assigned to Judge Svetlana Zemtsova. Earlier, she authorized a search of Igor Prytyko.
The court is interrogating the defendant, Igor Prityko. He states, among other things: "My motive was not extremism, but the intention to exercise my right to practice and share my faith in the usual way within the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses." Prityko explains: "My actions consisted of satisfying my spiritual needs: reading the Bible and discussing it with other people, singing songs praising God and praying to God." To support the believer, 12 people come to the hearing.
The state prosecutor asks to find Igor Prityko guilty and requests he be given a 2-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period.
Igor Prityko makes his final statement, after which the court announces the verdict.
The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the sentence to Igor Prityko. The believer states that the indictment is "completely unsubstantiated" and relies on a recording of a meetings for worship, where he "shares thoughts based only on the Bible."
"It is not easy for a peaceful person who has not committed any act dangerous to people and the state to experience the events related to criminal prosecution," he notes, adding that what is happening undermines the physical and emotional health of both him and his loved ones.