Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk

Investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Lipetsk region Y. V. Yakushev initiates a criminal case against 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov, 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin and 41-year-old Artur Netreba under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Within an hour and a half, searches begin in 7 houses of Lipetsk residents.

A group of FSB officers breaks into the apartment of Sergei Antonov, who receives guests. They knock down the mistress of the house, so that she hits her head hard. All the men, including Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba, are handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor. By midnight, 8 people were taken to the FSB department for interrogation. Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba are placed in a temporary detention facility, the rest are released 5 hours later with a summons for re-interrogation on December 5, 2019.

Without notifying the relatives, the court sends Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netrebr to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Relatives manage to find out that investigator Yakushev insisted on this measure of restraint. The men are being held in a temporary detention center, and later it is planned to transfer them to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Lipetsk Region.

The regional court is holding an appeal hearing on the complaint of Alexander Kostrov for detention. Dozens of listeners come to the court, court employees provide additional seats. The believer participates in the hearing via video link from the pre-trial detention center. The court dismisses the complaint.

The Lipetsk Regional Court is holding appeal hearings on complaints about the detention of Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba. Believers participate in meetings remotely via video link from the pre-trial detention center. Both sessions are attended by about 55 attendees.

The court rejects petitions to change the measure of restraint to house arrest and leaves the believers in custody.

The judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk, Ekaterina Ferapontova, orders the seizure of Alexander Kostrov's property in the amount of more than 760 thousand rubles. The court does not consider it necessary to notify the accused of the hearing and makes a decision in his absence.

This court decision is made on the basis of the petition of investigator Yakushev. In his opinion, the seizure of the believer's property will ensure the payment of the fine provided as a punishment under the "extremist" article in the event of a guilty verdict.

More than 100 people come to the meeting of the Sovetsky District Court in Lipetsk to support believers. At the entrance, their passports are taken away and summonses are issued for interrogation to FSB investigator Yakushev. The subpoenas are presented by A. M. Puzanov and Lieutenant Colonel D. V. Kravchenko.

The court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba until May 2, 2020.

During closed hearings, the court recognized as lawful searches of believers, against which they had previously filed a complaint.

Judge of the Lipetsk Regional Court V. A. Shalnev upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of all three believers.

Four more local residents receive summons for interrogations by mail.

Despite the threat of coronavirus infection, the judge extends the term of imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center for all three believers until August 1, 2020.

The Lipetsk Regional Court dismisses the appeal against the extension of the detention of Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba.

Cassation appeals are filed against decisions to extend the measure of restraint. Complaints remain without consideration.

The Supreme Court refuses to transfer the consideration of the cassation appeal against the decision of the Lipetsk Regional Court.

The court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba until October 1, 2020.

The Court of Appeal upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of believers.

In the city of Yelets, Lipetsk region, 6 law enforcement officers invade the home of 53-year-old Sergey Tishkov, who lives with his wife and two adult children. The security forces present a court order to search the house, look through the electronic devices of believers and copy data from the computer's hard drive.

Tishkov is summoned for questioning to the FSB department in Lipetsk as a witness.

Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba are released from the pre-trial detention center on their own recognizance. The believers spent 331 days behind bars.

The case materials are received by the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk and transferred to Judge Alexander Ustinov for consideration.

Referee: Alexander Ustinov. Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk (Lipetsk, Krainaya Street, 6).

In addition to the participants in the process, two people are present at the meeting as listeners. Defendants refuse to be assigned counsel.

Interrogation of witnesses Kravchenko and Gavrilenko. Kravchenko's answers are of a general nature, in some cases he does not know what to answer. Gavrilenko's testimony at the trial is at odds with his written testimony from the case.

Interrogation of witness Martynov.

Interrogation of witness Vorobyov. He cannot explain how he met the defendants, whether their meetings were of a friendly or purely religious nature. The witness explains his answers by forgetfulness. The prosecutor considers the oral answers to be untrue and requests that the written testimony of the witness be read.

Prosecution witness "Ivanov" is being questioned, whose voice has been changed. The prosecutor petitions for the disclosure of the witness's written testimony, seeing inconsistencies in Ivanov's answers. The judge grants the request.

Interrogation of witness Vorobyov. Answering questions about how he got to know the defendants and whether their meetings were friendly or within the framework of religion, the witness refers to the results of the examinations or to his forgetfulness. The prosecutor considers the oral answers inappropriate and requests that the written testimony of the witness be read.

The defendants agree to hold a meeting in the judge's office, although this causes them some inconvenience.

Witness "Ivanov" is again absent from the hearing.

Testimony is given by the defendants, who draw the court's attention to the discrepancy between the evidence presented by the investigation and the charges. They also explain the difference between the Constitution's right to profess religious beliefs and the activities of legal education.

The court schedules the arguments of the parties on September 15.

About 30 people come to the building of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk to support believers, but due to covid restrictions, half of them are removed from the court by the guards, and another half by the judge.

Speaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks to appoint Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba to 4 years in prison and 8 months of restriction of freedom. The debate will continue on October 1, 2021.

Judge Aleksandr Ustinov found the believers guilty and sentenced them to a fine of 500,000 rubles, but reduced it to 300,000 rubles, since the men spent almost a year in jail during the investigation.

An appeal in Lipetsk upholds the verdict against Artur Netreba, Aleksandr Kostrov and Viktor Bachurin