In the photo: Anton Dergalev, Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Marat Abdulgalimov

In the photo: Anton Dergalev, Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Marat Abdulgalimov

In the photo: Anton Dergalev, Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Marat Abdulgalimov

Criminal Investigation and Trial

The Dagestan Supreme Court Ruled to Release Four Believers From the Detention Center. They Spent in Prison Almost a Year

Dagestan

On 27 May 2020 the Dagestan Supreme Court replaced the preventive measure for Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Arsen Abdullaev from detention to house arrest. The believers are to be released from the detention center on the same day.

The court rejected the investigator's petition, which demanded that the Makhachkala residents continue to be held in prison.

The believers were detained in June 2019 during humiliating searches and interrogations. At that time, masked and armored security forces had invaded approximately 10 homes of law-abiding local residents, who were accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala

Case History
In the summer of 2019, the homes of local Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched in four cities of Dagestan. Two religious brochures on the list of extremist materials were planted in one of the homes. Prior to this, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Mariya Karpova, accusing them of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Additionally, the three men were charged with financing a banned organization, while the woman was charged with involving others in it. All four were put on the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists. The believers spent 362 days in pre-trial detention, after which they were placed under house arrest. In 2020, the cassation court declared that their detention in a pre-trial detention center for 8 out of 12 months was unlawful. In March 2021, the consideration of the case on the merits began. In November 2022, the court gave Abdullayev, Abdulgalimov and Dergalev 6.5 year suspended sentences and gave Karpova a 6 year suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Abdulgalimov
Marat
Abdullaev
Arsen
Dergalev
Anton
Karpova
Mariya

Criminal case

Region:
Dagestan
Locality:
Makhachkala
Suspected of:
According to the investigation “together with others he conducted religious services, so-called ‘meetings’, during which they studied the printed materials of the banned organization ‘Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia’ with the participation of residents of the Republic of Daghestan”
Court case number:
11907820001000056
Initiated:
May 27, 2019
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Daghestan
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1), 282.2 (1.1)
Court case number:
1-5/2022 (1-230/2021)
Court:
Кировский районный суд г. Махачкалы
Judge:
Амиров Амир
Case History