FOR FIRST TIME A YOUNG WOMAN IS SENT TO PRISON FOR HER CHRISTIAN FAITH
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 10 July 2018
On 6 July 2018, Nina Iordan, a judge of the Azov district court of Omsk oblast, sent a young woman, Anastasia Poliakova [age, 34—tr.], for two months in a SIZO of the city of Omsk, as well as her husband, 46-year-old Sergei Poliakov. The couple wound up in prison because they are suspected of professing the religion of the Jehovah's Witnesses. They both are charged under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activity of an extremist organization). They are being held in the capacity of defendants.
Early in the morning of 4 July 2018, Sergei and Anastasia, who were in their home in Omsk, were awakened by the intrusion into their residence of personnel of law enforcement agencies. The door to their apartment was broken down. They were essentially arrested and were held in custody more than two days until the court selected a measure to assure appearance.
The investigative group is headed by Justice Major Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee for Omsk oblast. Law enforcement agencies in various regions of Russia mistakenly take the shared religious confession of citizens as participation in an extremist organization. The attention of prominent public figures of Russia and also of the Council for Human Rights under the Russian president has already been called to this problem.
It is possible to send letters of support to
Anastasia and
Sergei. Letters in foreign languages are not permitted in the
SIZO, with the
exception of children's drawings. (tr. by PDS, posted 11 July
2018)
Background article:
First
female Jehovah's Witness in Russia locked up
July 6, 2018
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