Photo: residents of Zelenogorsk came to court for a hearing on the election of a preventive measure for Aleksandr Kabanov

Criminal Investigation and Trial

In the closed city of Zelenogorsk, the believer spent a day in an isolation ward. The security forces asked to send him to a pre-trial detention center, but the court refused

Krasnoyarsk Territory

On December 26, 2019, a series of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses' homes took place in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. At least 8 people, including minors, were taken for questioning. 59-year-old Aleksandr Kabanov spent a day behind bars. On December 27, however, the court refused to send him to jail.

Update. It became known that the minors were not taken away for interrogation, but were interrogated at the place of the search.

Despite the severe frost, about 40 anxious citizens came to the hearing on the election of a preventive measure for Alexander Kabanov. Almost none of them were allowed to attend the hearing and were even escorted out of the courthouse. For about 3 hours, the believer's friends waited for what the court would say, taking turns warming themselves in cars. All of them breathed a sigh of relief when they learned about the court's refusal to send Aleksandr Kabanov to the pre-trial detention center.

This is not the first time that law enforcement agencies in the Krasnoyarsk Territory have persecuted ordinary people and deprived them of their legal right to practice their religion. Compared to other regions, the Krasnoyarsk Territory is engaged in a very active struggle against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses . The fight against the "undesirable" faith has been launched in six cities of the region at once - Krasnoyarsk, Norilsk, Minusinsk, Sharypov, Achinsk, and now in Zelenogorsk.

Currently, investigations are underway in this region against seven believers: Krasnoyarsk, Minusinsk, Sharypovo, Norilsk and Achinsk. Aleksandr Polozov from Norilsk was taken into custody in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Most recently, on the night of December 20, 2019, Anton Ostapenko from Sharypovo was released from pre-trial detention center No. 3 under house arrest, after 246 days behind bars. And the case of Andrey Stupnikov has been dragging on since July 3, 2018.

The case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk

Case History
Siberian Aleksandr Kabanov faced criminal prosecution for believing in God at the end of December 2019. Then a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Zelenogorsk. The believer spent a day behind bars, after which he was released. He was accused of “holding weekly religious meetings, distributing religious . . . the organization’s attitudes and the involvement of new adherents”, which the investigator of the Investigative Committee equated with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In February 2021, the case went to the city court. In December of the same year, instead of announcing the verdict, the judge returned the case to the stage of judicial investigation. In August 2022, Aleksandr Kabanov was convicted of 2 years suspended, but the appeal returned the case to the prosecutor. In June 2023, the case was again submitted to the court of first instance. In January 2024, the prosecution requested 2 years and 6 months in prison for the believer, but the court returned the case to the prosecutor again.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnoyarsk Territory
Locality:
Zelenogorsk
Suspected of:
According to investigators, he "organized ... the activities of 24 groups of members of the banned organization and supervised their activities during weekly religious meetings, the dissemination of religious and ideological attitudes of the banned organization, as well as the involvement of new adherents"
Court case number:
11902040011000051
Initiated:
December 26, 2019
Current case stage:
Case returned to prosecutor
Investigating:
Joint Investigative Directorate for the Closed Administrative District of Zelenogorsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-4/2024 (1-129/2023; 1-1/2022; 1-67/2021)
Court:
Зеленогорский городской суд Красноярского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Доронин Станислав
Case History