A wave of searches of believers in Budyonnovsk

As it became known, in the early morning of June 26, 2019, in Budyonnovsk (Stavropol Territory), searches were carried out almost simultaneously in 6 houses of believers. The actions of law enforcement officers are connected with a series of arrests in nearby Neftekumsk, where three people have been in jail for more than 7 months.

Update. According to updated data, on this day 9, not 6 searches took place in the homes of believers.

Searches at the Budyonnivtsi began at about 6 a.m. In one case, the absent owner was tricked into returning home, where FSB officers were already inspecting the premises. One woman's home was searched in the presence of her 4-year-old son and adult daughter. In addition to his house, the 52-year-old believer's outbuildings, garage and car were searched. Security forces also invaded the homes of a 66-year-old widow and a 59-year-old man with a disability.

Law enforcement officers were interested in the religious views of citizens, and also offered them to identify the residents of Neftekumsk from photographs, whose "guilt" lies in the fact that they "after the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to ban activities ... a religious organization [Jehovah's Witnesses] ... they have not renounced their religious views."

It is noteworthy that, in addition to investigator Y. Koropov and Major Klopotova from the Budyonnovsky Department of Internal Affairs, as well as their employees V. Kapitsa, R. Safonov and A. Prokhorov, FSB officers from Stavropol and St. Petersburg participated in the searches.