In Birobidzhan, the Investigator Accused Eight of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Number of Criminal Cases for Faith in the City Reaches 19

On February 6, 2020, criminal cases were opened in Birobidzhan on suspicion of extremism against six women. Two more criminal cases - against citizens Andrei Gubin and Oleg Postnikov - were initiated on February 12. In total, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.

The cases against 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Natalia Krieger were initiated by D. Yankin, a senior forensic investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region.

All six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Investigator D. Yankin opened a similar case against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin.

In relation to 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov, the case under the same article was initiated by the senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB I. Fedorov.

Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky. All four men are under recognizance agreement. The cases of Guzev and Lokhvitsky are already being considered in the Birobidzhan District Court.