Illustrative photo. Source: [Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOiAwKQuFMdJuK7wwDIoKpA)
Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

A wave of searches in homes of believers in Yalta. A new criminal case was initiated

Crimea

On March 11, 2021, one more series of searches took place in Yalta in at least 9 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Four people were detained for interrogation, one of them was taken by the security forces to Simferopol.

Update. At least five people were interrogated in Yalta on March 11. Taras Kuzio was sent to the temporary detention facility in the city of Bakhchysarai. The court should soon choose a measure of restraint for the believer.

During the search, all electronic equipment and a large amount of money were seized from 42-year-old Taras Kuzio. The security officials did not wait for the believer to open the door and broke it open. Previously, he had already been searched twice.. Then the security forces sought connections with Artyom Gerasimov, one of Jehovah's Witness, who was later sentenced to 6 years in prison for his faith.

According to preliminary data, the reason for the raid was a new criminal case "on the financing of an extremist organization." The searches were sanctioned by Viktor Krapko, judge of the Kievskiy district court of Simferopol. Details are being clarified.

As follows from the materials of hundreds of criminal cases initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the security forces consider peaceful gatherings of believers to be a crime when they jointly study the Bible, listen to biblical speeches and participate in joint chants and prayers. Investigators automatically interpret this religion as a continuation of the activities of the liquidated organizations. The criminal prosecution continues, despite repeated assurances from the Russian authorities that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.

The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta

Case History
In March 2021, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Taras Kuzo from Yalta, a father of two young children, suspecting him of financing the activities of an extremist organization. After a series of searches in the homes of believers, Kuzo ended up in a temporary detention center. In July of the same year, a criminal case was opened against the couple Daria, as well as Petr Zhiltsov, Sergey Lyulin and Tadevos Manukyan. Later, the Manukyan case was separated into a separate proceeding. Lyulin spent more than six months in a pre-trial detention center and more than 4 months under house arrest. Zhiltsov and Kuzo were under house arrest for 11 and 16 months, respectively. In March 2022, the believers’ case went to court. A year later, the court sentenced Taras Kuzo to 6.5 years, Petr Zhiltsov to 6 years and 1 month, Sergey Lyulin to 6 years in a penal colony, and Darya Kuzo to 3 years of suspended sentence. In March 2024, an appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case back for a new trial.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Crimea
Locality:
Yalta
Court case number:
121023500130000044
Initiated:
March 4, 2021
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Branch of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Crimea
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.3 (1), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-319/2024 (1-17/2023; 1-181/2022)
Court:
Ялтинский городской суд
Judge:
Кристина Кириллова
Case History
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