Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan

The deputy head of the Investigative Department for the city of Birobidzhan, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Ivan Nenko, issues a decision against unidentified persons to initiate criminal proceedings for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization.

Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Olga Klyuchikova, who previously handed down guilty verdicts in three cases of Jehovah's Witnesses, allows searches of 71-year-old Anatoly Artamonov and 45-year-old Aleksandr Krushevskiy. Both men are hard of hearing.

The Investigative Committee is conducting searches in the apartments of both believers. Alexander Krushevsky's investigative actions are led by I. Y. Nenko, Anatoly Artamonov's — senior investigator D. V. Emelianenko. Later, Krushevsky was taken to the Investigative Committee and interrogated. The believer explains to the investigator that he is a person with hearing disability of group III.

Investigator Emelianenko chooses a measure of restraint for believers in the form of a recognizance not to leave.

Emelianenko interrogates Artamonov and Krushevsky and charges them with participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it.

73-year-old Anatoliy Artamonov and 45-year-old Aleksandr Krushevskiy are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.

The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court and is referred to Judge Natalia Shibanova for consideration.

Court hearings begin on the case of believers. They are held with the participation of a sign language interpreter, which makes it possible for Aleksandr Krushevsky, who is hearing impaired, to participate in the process.

Anatoliy Artamonov and Aleksandr Krushevskiy are being searched as part of a new criminal case against another believer from Birobidzhan, Oleg Postnikov.

The defendants express their attitude to the charges. Anatoly Artamonov notes: "All my actions were legal, religious and completely peaceful. The prosecution does not allege that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity. I did not do anything that would indicate the continuation of the illegal activities of any extremist organization ... I have never engaged in any extremist activity, never persuaded or otherwise involved others, and never participated in the activities of an extremist organization."

Aleksandr Krushevsky echoes: "My views and beliefs are directly opposite to what the law recognizes as 'extremism'. My faith is based on the Bible, which is a sacred religious book for Christians of all denominations and which, by virtue of an explicit ban, cannot be considered extremist material (Article 3.1 of the Federal Law "On Countering Extremist Activity")."

The prosecutor requests the court sentence the believers to 4.5 years imprisonment.