In Tver, Jehovah's Witnesses were Searched, a Criminal Cases for Faith was Initiated

 RUSSIA


In Tver, Jehovah's Witnesses were Searched, a Criminal Cases for Faith was Initiated

July 27, 2023 Tver Region


On July 24, 2023, searches were carried out in Tver in three houses of residents who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case under an extremist article was initiated against 40-year-old Maksim Barbazyuk, 50-year-old Aleksandr Kostyuk and 68-year-old Valeriy Tolmazov.


The security forces began the raid at 6 am. Electronic devices were seized during the searches. According to believers, law enforcement officers behaved correctly.


By 3 pm, the three men were taken for interrogation to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee for the Tver Region, where they were told that on June 29, 2023, a criminal case had been opened against them. Investigator Maksim Prusakov questioned believers about their religious views. The interrogations continued until 11 pm.


The decision to open a criminal case states: “Kostyuk, Barbazyuk and Tolmazov continue to carry out extremist activities by holding face-to-face and absentee meetings (videoconferences).” This is how the investigation interpreted the peaceful actions of believers who discussed what they read in the Bible with their families and friends.


This is not the first case of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tver region. In July 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Alexander Starikov and Sergey Naumenko.

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