During searches in four dwellings of people suspected of participating in the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization in occupied Crimea, Russian security officials behaved rudely: they knocked out windows and broke the entrance gate. Electronic devices, print media and some documents were seized from believers. They released everyone, except for 29-year-old Artem Shablii, against whom a criminal case was instituted under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This was reported via the website Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.
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“During the assault on the dwelling of Artem Shablii, who lives with his wife, mother and children (2 and 4 years old), security officials broke the windows in the hallway. Law enforcement officers handcuffed Artem himself and took them off only a few hours later, after interrogation in the local law enforcement department. According to eyewitnesses of the events, one of the organizers of the raid verbally mentioned that a criminal case was opened against Shablii under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, but no documentary evidence was provided”,- the statement said.
It is noted that these so-called special events at three other addresses lasted for about three hours. In one of the cases, the security forces broke the entrance gate. Electronic devices, print media and some documents were seized from believers. They were also taken for interrogation to the Investigation Department, where they remained for another two hours.