In the Stavropol Territory, New Searches and Interrogations Took Place in the Case Against Believers from Neftekumsk

On November 8, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk, FSB officers summoned a local resident, Yuri Savitsky, for questioning. In the cities of Neftekumsk and Blagodarny, as well as in the villages of Urozhaynoye and Velichayevskoye, searches are being carried out in the homes of believers, followed by interrogations.

These events take place as part of the investigation into the case against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. During interrogations, FSB officers Mikhail Kalashnikov and Vadim Lyakhov find out whether citizens are familiar with Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov who are in pre-trial detention, what religion they adhere to and where they work.

Konstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov ended up in pre-trial detention in December 2018, but the criminal prosecution was initiated by the events of August 2017. Then a group of believers, including children, the elderly and the disabled, were blocked by the police while relaxing on the shore of the lake and taken for interrogation.

Konstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Alexander Akopov are still in the pre-trial detention center of the city of Stavropol. At the moment, 45 people suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are being held in custody in Russia, eight of them are serving real terms in prison just for their faith.