The case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur

Case History

In May 2023, civilians in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, as well as the village of Khurba and the village of Molodezhny, were subjected to night searches because of their religion. The investigation opened a criminal case against 8 believers—Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey Sachnev and his wife Ulita, Nikolay Kovadnev, Ivan Nikitin, Mikhail Dorofeev, Radion Shitov, Marina Voitko and Svetlana Zharkova. They were charged with involvement in the activities of a banned organization. In 2024, the prosecutor’s office returned the case to the investigator twice.

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    Case initiated Art. 282.2 (1.1)

    The head of the investigation department for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Svetlana Shved, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons.

    The investigation believes that the believers, "staying in the village of Khurba in the Komsomolsk district of the Khabarovsk Territory, persuaded, recruited and otherwise involved May O.P. in the activities of the organization." Senior Lieutenant of Justice Leonid Kuznetsov is appointed head of the investigation team.

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    Search

    The Leninsky District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur issues a search order in the home of Vasily Bondarev, who lives in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

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    Search Interrogation

    In Komsomolsk-on-Amur and the village of Khurba, searches are carried out in the evening at the homes of local believers - the Zharkovs, the Sachnevs, the Bondarevs, the Nikitins, the Shitovs, the Dorofeevs and the Kovadnevs. According to believers, the security forces come in the amount of 7 people, accompanied by officers of the FSB, the Investigative Committee, the police and witnesses. As they note, law enforcement officers behave politely.

    In the Bondarev family, Vasily is ordered to lie down on the floor, after which his mother Irina becomes ill, her blood pressure rises. Then the police allow Vasily to sit on the couch. During the searches, electronic devices, Bibles, CDs and personal records are seized.

    Believers are given summons to the Investigative Committee.

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    Search Interrogation

    At midnight, Marina Voitko's house is searched in the village of Molodezhnoye. Armed security forces in bulletproof vests and masks drive up to her house in a minibus and a car. The search lasts an hour and a half, electronic devices, notebooks and notebooks with personal notes are seized from the believer. She is also given a summons for interrogation.

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    Investigator Kuznetsov interrogates Ivan Nikitin, asking him questions about faith, religions, and the army.

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    Elderly Prosecution of several family members

    A. A. Ermolenko, Deputy Head of the Investigative Department for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, returns the case of believers to the stage of preliminary investigation. During the check, it turns out that the law enforcement officers did not establish where, when and what exactly the suspects committed.

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    Interrogation Art. 282.2 (1)

    An investigative group of 14 investigators of the Investigative Committee, headed by investigator Kuznetsov, is being created for additional investigation of this criminal case.

    Kuznetsov brings Mikhail Dorofeyev as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and charges him in a new edition.

    Investigator for especially important cases Chivileva L.V. interrogates Dorofeyev. The believer pleads not guilty and petitions for the dismissal of the criminal case.

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    This is the second time that the prosecutor has returned the case to the preliminary investigation stage to eliminate the identified deficiencies.

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    Additional investigation is again entrusted to the investigation team headed by investigator Kuznetsov.

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