Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki

Searches are being conducted at at least 31 addresses in the village of Vyselki and neighboring settlements. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records are seized from Elena Gadrshina.

The Investigative Committee is initiating a criminal case against Elena Gadrshina under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym "Shepherd" who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in the past. Later, the man again began to communicate with believers and film online worship services in order to transmit this information to the Center for Countering Extremism.

Rosfinmonitoring blocks the accounts of Gadrshina and several other believers from Vyselki, and two days later seizes her funds.

The investigator summons the believer for interrogation and takes from her a written undertaking not to leave the place.

Elena Gadrshina is charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Among other things, she is charged with "reading aloud to other participants the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge about God."

The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court. It will be considered by judge Ruslan Teplukhin. He is also hearing a case brought on similar charges against other local believers, Vasilina Penskaya and Viktor Spirichev.

The court grants the defense's request for the admission of Elena Gadrshina's daughter as a second defender.

31 people come to support the believer, all are allowed into the meeting room.

The public defender submits a new motion to return the case to the prosecutor in order to remove obstacles in the further consideration of the case. The prosecutor is requesting time to consider the motion.

The court rejects the previously filed motion of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.

In another petition, the defence alleges that the investigator violated the statutory deadlines for the preliminary investigation. According to the investigator, it was allegedly not possible to involve Gadrshina in the investigation of the criminal case. However, the believer declares that she was not absent anywhere, since she was under recognizance not to leave. The prosecution asks for time to prepare a response.

The court rejects the lawyer's statement submitted at the previous hearing about the investigator's violation of the terms of the investigation.

The public defender submits a second motion to return the case to the prosecutor. It states that this criminal case was initiated unlawfully, since the materials that served as the basis for this were obtained in violation of the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law "On Operational Activities". The judge denies.

The assistant prosecutor reads out the charges. Yelena Gadrshina expresses her attitude towards him. She says: "The materials of the criminal case do not disclose any arguments and evidence that I had a criminal intent to commit the alleged crime. The prosecution mistakenly mistakes the confession of religion for participation in the activities of a banned legal entity."