Tatarstan: three more transferred from pre-trial detention center to house arrest

On November 9, 2018, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan decided to transfer under house arrest three Chelny residents who remained in the Chistopol pre-trial detention center because of their religious beliefs. On November 13, 2018, Vladimir Myakushin and Aidar Yulmetyev left the pre-trial detention center after 170 days in it.

Earlier, the same court placed a 4th prisoner, Ilham Karimov, under house arrest. He was released from the detention center 7 days after the decree came into force.

The case of Karimov and others in Naberezhnye Chelny was initiated under Parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution claims that these citizens worshipped Jehovah God, and interprets this not as their constitutional right to freedom of religion, but as "organization", "participation" and "involvement in the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).

Meanwhile, the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights is sounding the alarm: "Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as "continuation of the activities of an extremist organization." The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic."