Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

In the Stavropol Territory, New Searches and Interrogations Took Place in the Case Against Believers from Neftekumsk

Stavropol Territory

On November 8, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk, FSB officers summoned a local resident, Yuri Savitsky, for questioning. In the cities of Neftekumsk and Blagodarny, as well as in the villages of Urozhaynoye and Velichayevskoye, searches are being carried out in the homes of believers, followed by interrogations.

These events take place as part of the investigation into the case against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. During interrogations, FSB officers Mikhail Kalashnikov and Vadim Lyakhov find out whether citizens are familiar with Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov who are in pre-trial detention, what religion they adhere to and where they work.

Konstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov ended up in pre-trial detention in December 2018, but the criminal prosecution was initiated by the events of August 2017. Then a group of believers, including children, the elderly and the disabled, were blocked by the police while relaxing on the shore of the lake and taken for interrogation.

Konstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Alexander Akopov are still in the pre-trial detention center of the city of Stavropol. At the moment, 45 people suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are being held in custody in Russia, eight of them are serving real terms in prison just for their faith.

Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk

Case History
In August 2017, security forces conducted a raid on believers from Neftekumsk during a picnic. More than half of the 18 detained persons were children, the elderly and disabled persons. In December 2018, the FSB initiated a criminal case for extremism. Homes of local believers were searched. Shamil Sultanov, Konstantin Samsonov and Aleksandr Akopov spent about a year in a detention center. The prosecution repeatedly called convicted persons as witnesses. Some of them did not know the defendants. The defense pointed to the fabrication of the case materials. In March 2022, the prosecutor requested 9 years in a penal colony for Samsonov and 8 years each for Akopov and Sultanov. In April 2022, the court sentenced Samsonov to 7.5 years in a penal colony, Akopov and Sultanov each received a fine of 500,000 rubles. Following the results of the appeal, in August 2022, Samsonov paid a fine of 400,000 rubles taking into account the time served in the detention center, while Akopov and Sultanov paid 250,000 rubles each. This decision was upheld by the court of cassation.
Timeline

Persons in case

Akopov
Aleksandr
Samsonov
Konstantin
Sultanov
Shamil

Criminal case

Region:
Stavropol Territory
Locality:
Neftekumsk
Suspected of:
“After the decision of Russia's Supreme Court to ban the activities...of the religious organization (of Jehovah's Witnesses)...he did not renounce his religious views.”
Court case number:
11807070001100084
Initiated:
December 7, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Stavropol Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-1/2022 (1-46/2021)
Court:
Neftekumsk District Court of the Stavropol Territory
Judge:
Maksim Mazikin
Case History
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