SEARCHES IN DZHANKOI—LARGEST OPERATION AGAINST BELIEVERS OF RECENT PERIOD
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 28 November 2018
More than 200 personnel of police and the F.S.B. were activated during a raid conducted on 15 November 2018 in the city of Dzhankoi, Crimea. On that evening, personnel of the F.S.B., with the support of police, burst into at least eight homes of local residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 25 law enforcers were thrown into the storming of each of the homes.
A criminal case was opened on the basis of part 1 of article 282 of the CC of RF against 46-year-old Sergei Filatov, the father of four children. To his home in three microbuses, several service cars, and a 50-seat bus rode up more than 35 law enforcers, approximately half of whom were special forces troops armed with pistols. Several cars lacked license plates and several had numbers from Rostov oblast. In Sergei Filatov's home a search was conducted and he was interrogated and released with a signed pledge not to depart.
It is known that the participants in the security operation included the Russian U.F.S.B. for the republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Center for Combating Extremism of the MVD for the republic of Crimea, and police personnel from other regions of Russia. According to information of news media, law enforcement personnel from Moscow also participated in the operation. On tapes from the video surveillance cameras it is visible that law enforcers armed with equipment for breaking down doors without knocking or ringing set up in the stairway to the gates and the household, smashing the doors.
Law enforcement personnel acted grossly, making disparaging comments to the believers. After the search, two citizens discovered that money was missing, large sums of money. In another case the loss of jewelry of precious metal was discovered.
Seventy-eight-year-old Alexander Ursu's arms were twisted behind his back, as a result of which he fell. He was picked up by force and turned to face the wall and forcefully pushed against it. A bruise remained on his face from the blow against the wall. There were also numerous bruises discovered on his legs. In soviet times Alexander Ursu was subjected to repression for his faith and he was later rehabilitated.
During the search, a 50-year-old believer suffered raised blood pressure and his face, body, and arms were paralyzed. First aid was summoned and the man was hospitalized with a stroke.
During the search one woman suffered raised blood pressure and a first aid team was called. While the medics treated the 53-year-old woman, law enforcers continued to conduct a search in her home.
One of the men returned home in the morning after interrogation and he found his home trashed. His 22-year-okd wife was taken to the hospital. As the result of psychological trauma she suffered a miscarriage. The young couple does not have children and they suffered a severe tragedy.
A criminal case on the basis of part 1 of article 282.2 of the CC of RF was opened by an investigator of the Investigation Department of the U.F.S.B. for the republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Justice Lieutenant A. Chumakin. The investigation was entrusted to a group of eleven investigators. According to the account of the investigation, Sergei Filatov continued the activity of an organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated by the Russian Supreme Court in 2017. This activity allegedly was expressed "in conducting meetings, religious speeches, and also propaganda of religious ideas of the aforesaid organization, using for these purposes the residence where he was registered and actually lives. . . ." (tr. by PDS, posted 29 November 2018)
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