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Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

After Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses In Tolyatti — Two Criminal Cases Initiated For Their Faith

Samara Region

On May 16, 2023, in Tolyatti, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of at least three families of believers. Two new criminal cases are known to have been initiated. Aleksandr Dolganov, 34, was placed under house arrest, and Sona Olopova, 36, placed under a recognizance agreement.

Searches of the homes of the Dolganovs and of another believer started at about 6:30 a.m. and lasted more than 2 hours. At about the same time, a search took place at the home of Anatoliy and Sona Olopov. Armed law enforcement officers confiscated electronic devices and personal notes from the believers; passports for travel abroad were also taken from Dolganov and Olopova. Sona Olopova was taken for interrogation to the investigative department, where she was kept until about 7.00 p.m., after which she was released under a recognizance agreement.

After the searches, Aleksandr Dolganov was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. The next day, May 17, Elena Laskina, judge of the Tsentralnyy District Court of Tolyatti, placed him under house arrest.

The criminal prosecution was initiated by the Tsentralnyy Interdistrict Investigative Department for the City of Tolyatti of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The investigative actions were led by senior investigators A. S. Kharitonov, R. N. Mgoyan and A. O. Grekov. The day before the searches, the latter initiated at least two criminal cases: against Aleksandr Dolganov and Sona Olopova. Both are charged with Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. According to Grekov, from 2017 to the present time the believers have been participating in the activity of a banned religious association.

Update. It is now known that a criminal case was initiated under the same article against another believer, 61-year-old Yelena Kozhevnikova. On May 18, 2023, investigator R. N. Mgoyan placed her under a recognizance agreement.

Earlier, in the Samara Region, two criminal cases had already been initiated against five Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith.

The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti

Case History
In May 2023, in Tolyatti, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of four families of believers to conduct searches. A criminal case was initiated against Aleksandr Dolganov for his faith. After interrogation, he was placed under house arrest for 85 days, and then under a ban on certain actions. In July 2023, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of two witnesses who collaborated with the investigation. One of them, who secretly filmed the meetings for worship, admitted that she did not know the defendant personally, but had a negative attitude towards Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also at the trial, it turned out that the specialists who conducted the psychological and religious expert studies did not have the necessary qualifications. In April 2024, the court sentenced Aleksandr to 3 years imprisonment. He was taken into custody in the courtroom, and placed in a detention center. In September, the court of appeal upheld the court’s decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Dolganov
Aleksandr

Criminal case

Region:
Samara Region
Locality:
Tolyatti
Suspected of:
"being in Tolyatti, Samara Region, realizing that his actions were illegal and contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation, participated in the activity of a religious association" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)
Court case number:
12302360032000240
Initiated:
May 15, 2023
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Tsentralnyy Interdistrict Investigative Department for the City of Tolyatti of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-72/2024 (1-978/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Avtozavodskiy District Court of Tolyatti
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Anna Tokareva
Case History

The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti

Case History
In May 2023, in Tolyatti, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of at least three families of believers, including that of Sona Olopova; a criminal case was initiated against her for her faith. After interrogation, she was made to sign a recognizance agreement. At the end of July 2023, the case went to court. There was a secret witness in the case who said that the meetings for worship were held without signs of extremism and were not related to the activity of any legal entity. The prosecutor requested the court sentence the believer to 4 years in a penal colony. In January 2024, she was sentenced to 2 years of forced labor. In April 2024 the court of appeal upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Olopova
Sona

Criminal case

Region:
Samara Region
Locality:
Tolyatti
Suspected of:
"took an active part in the form of collective religious worship by consistently studying and discussing religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses" (from the indictment)
Court case number:
12302360032000242
Initiated:
May 15, 2023
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Tsentralnyy Interdistrict Investigative Department for the City of Tolyatti of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-50/2024 (1-547/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Tsentralnyy District Court of Tolyatti
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Tatyana Begunova
Case History

The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti

Case History
In May 2023, homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Tolyatti were searched. Yelena Kozhevnikova became a defendant in a criminal case for her faith. She was made to sign a recognizance agreement. She was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization only because she gathered with friends to discuss Bible teachings. The basis for initiating a criminal case was hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, which were made over 2.5 years. In July 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony for Yelena. In March 2024, the court issued a 2-year suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kozhevnikova
Yelena

Criminal case

Region:
Samara Region
Locality:
Tolyatti
Suspected of:
"In an unspecified period of time... being in a place unidentified by the investigation, being a citizen of the Russian Federation, she joined the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and local religious organizations that are part of its structure [...] Organized the production and distribution of paper media containing the ideology of the above-mentioned religious organization" (from the decision to charge).
Court case number:
12302360032000243
Initiated:
May 15, 2023
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-45/2024 (1-525/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Tsentralnyy District Court of Tolyatti
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Irina Onuchina
Case History

The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti

Case History
Yelena Yurenkova became a defendant in a criminal case for her faith when searches were carried out in Tolyatti in May 2023. She was placed under a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Samara Region accused her of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because she peacefully met with her fellow believers. The basis for initiating the criminal case were hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, which were made over 2.5 years. In July 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in a penal colony for Yelena. In March 2024, the court gave the believer a 2-year suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Yurenkova
Yelena

Criminal case

Region:
Samara Region
Locality:
Tolyatti
Suspected of:
"took active steps by taking an active part in the activities of the organization ... through participation in collective meetings... where ideology was discussed ... religious organization" (from the Decision on bringing as an accused).
Court case number:
12302360032000241
Initiated:
May 15, 2023
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigaive Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-44/2024 (1-524/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Anastasia Fedorova
Case History
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