In Kostroma, a believer was released from a pre-trial detention center under house arrest

On September 21, 2018, 21-year-old Sergey Rayman was released from pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Kostroma region after 59 days of detention. The Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, after a 5-hour hearing, changed his measure of restraint to house arrest, rejecting the investigator's request to extend his detention. It is noteworthy that the representative of the prosecutor's office supported the accused's petition for the application of house arrest.

It became known that the conditions of detention in Sergey's pre-trial detention center were very difficult at first: a small solitary confinement cell, letters were not missed. It was not allowed to have a Bible on the pretext that it contained maps of ancient Palestine, which, theoretically, could be used to prepare for escape. Later, however, the situation changed: he was allowed to have a Bible (cards removed) and receive letters, which became support for the young man.

Sergey's wife, Valeria Rayman, was detained along with her husband on July 25, 2018 after a brutal assault on their home. She spent 2 days in a temporary detention center, after which the court imposed a ban on her leaving the house at night, as well as a ban on the Internet, telephone, mail and communication with "persons professing the teachings of Jehovah." On September 21, 2018, the court extended her preventive measure.

The criminal case against the Rayman spouses was initiated under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist community) on the grounds that, according to the investigation, citizens gathered in their house twice to discuss the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. On September 20, 2018, throughout Kostroma, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the Center for Counteracting Extremism and the National Guard conducted mass searches in 11 houses of citizens who, according to the investigation, profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 16 people were actually detained for questioning, some were detained at 6 a.m. and released only around 5 p.m.