Illustrative photo. Source: commons.wikimedia.org

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Maykop Police Continues Raids on Jehovah's Witnesses for the Second Month

Adygea

It became known that in the period from April 19 to April 26, 2022, searches were carried out in Maykop at local believers at at least five addresses. Some of them were interrogated by the Investigative Committee.

On the evening of April 19, a group of seven law enforcers searched the home of a local resident. Her computer, laptop and phone were confiscated. Law enforcers were interested in whether worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses were held in her house and whether she knew Maykop believers who were under investigation. After the search, the woman was interrogated at the Investigative Committee.

On April 25, another believer was searched, and electronic devices were also seized. The next day, members of the Investigative Committee raided the homes of three other families of Jehovah's Witnesses. One believer was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, and his phone was seized. The investigator was interested in whether he had participated in home worship services.

Investigative measures were carried out under the leadership of the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the city of Maikop V. Shnakhov. The searches were authorized by the Maykop City Court a month earlier.

Earlier, two residents of Maykop were prosecuted, and another believer found his name on the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.

Godizov's case in Maykop

Case History
In February 2022, the head of the Department for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and the Fight against Terrorism of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Adygea sent a report, on the basis of which a month later the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Georgy Godizov. He was suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. On March 18, his bank accounts were blocked, and on March 21, security forces arbitrarily entered his home and searched his workplace. In April, at least five other believers were searched and interrogated.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Adygea
Locality:
Maykop
Court case number:
12102790010000015
Initiated:
March 4, 2022
Current case stage:
Preliminary investigation
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Case History