Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan

Case History

In May 2021, searches were carried out in the small town of Kaltan with the participation of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region, the CPE and the FSB. One of the detainees, civil engineer Aleksandr Tsikunov, spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility. The court then placed him under house arrest, and 51 days later he was ordered not to leave the place. The believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interpreted Tsikunov’s communication with friends via video conferencing on biblical topics. In August 2022, the prosecutor’s office returned the case for further investigation due to violations of the rights of the believer during the production of examinations. In June 2023, the case went to court. In September of the same year, Aleksandr suffered a heart attack, which is why the hearings were suspended for several months.

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    Investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass Maxim Somik initiates a criminal case against Alexander Tsikunov on charges of extremism. According to the investigator, the believer "from his computer ... Using video conferencing, he held weekly meetings."

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    In the town of Kaltan, Kemerovo Region, the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched. Aleksandr Tsikunov was detained and sent to a temporary detention center.

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    Investigator Somik involves Alexander Tsikunov as a defendant in a criminal case. The believer declares that he is not guilty.

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    Search Temporary detention facility Interrogation Art. 282.2 (2) Art. 282.2 (1) House arrest Minors

    Judge of the Kaltan District Court Yevgeny Vanyushin places Alexander Tsikunov under house arrest.

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    Aleksandr's preventive measure is mitigated: house arrest is replaced by a written undertaking not to leave the place. For 51 days, the believer could not leave his home and fully provide for his family financially.

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    Investigator Tyshchenko sends the case to the prosecutor for approval of the indictment.

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    The prosecutor's office returns Tsikunov's criminal case to the investigator for additional investigation. The reason is that during the production of religious and linguistic examinations, the believer's right to protection was violated.

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    Investigator S. S. Tyshchenko appoints a repeated religious and linguistic examination of the case materials.

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    Case went to court

    The case goes to the Kaltan District Court of the Kemerovo Region. It will be considered by judge Alexei Semerikov.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The defence files motions to terminate the criminal case and to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, which the court refuses. An open court hearing shall be scheduled. The court leaves the measure of restraint the same - a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    Prosecutor Kupranov reads out the indictment. Aleksandr Tsikunov expresses his attitude to the charges and declares that he does not agree with the charges.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance Interrogation

    A prosecutor interrogates a woman who attended Jehovah's Witnesses worship services via video conferencing. She says that there were no calls for violence or disobedience to the state; There was communication, including on biblical topics.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance Interrogation

    The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance Health risk

    It turns out that on September 4, Alexander Tsikunov suffered a heart attack. The defense files a motion to suspend the consideration of the case due to the need for treatment of the defendant.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    Hearings on the case are resumed. The court interrogates investigator Tyshchenko, who was in charge of the case of Alexander Tsikunov. He states that no pressure was exerted on prosecution witnesses during the interrogation. The court examines the case materials from volumes 1 and 2, including the constituent documents of the LRO for 1999 and documents on its liquidation, certificates of income of Tsikunov and a transcript of a hidden audio recording.

    30 people come to support Alexander, four are allowed into the hall.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The prosecutor reads out the case materials from volumes 2 and 3 - audio recordings of conversations of believers on everyday and spiritual topics, and search protocols of Tsikunov and his fellow believers. The prosecutor does not analyze the case materials.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The prosecution reads out the results of forensic psychiatric, phonoscopic, linguistic and religious examinations.
    The court satisfies the defense's motions to interrogate linguist Zubkova and religious scholar Schiller. The defense also asks the court to exclude from the case the materials of three searches of Alexander's fellow believers as irrelevant evidence.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    A study of audio recordings of conversations between Alexander Tsikunov and his wife and friends about the Bible.

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    Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The judge suspends the hearing in the case, as the believer underwent heart surgery in early September.

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