Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Illustrative photo

Criminal trial

The Tambov region becomes a 59th region in which Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted

Tambov Region

In the morning of December 24, 2020, at least two searches of believers were carried out in the city of Kirsanov, Tambov Region. Details are being specified.

Update. On 21 December 2020 investigators of the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against 27-year-old Anton Kuzhelkov and 56-year-old Nikolay Prokhorov under Part 1 Article 282.2 (organization of activities prohibited by the court) of the RF Criminal Code. Three days later searches were conducted at 19 locations in the town of Kirsanov. Kuzhelkov was detained. On December 25, the Leninskiy District Court of Tambov sent him to the pretrial detention facility for 2 months, until February 20, 2021. Prokhorov was released after interrogation.

The Tambov Region becomes the 59th region where law enforcement agencies persecute citizens on the basis of their confession as Jehovah's Witnesses.

The case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov

Case History
In December 2020, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases for their faith against Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolai Prokhorov. On the same day, the cases were merged into one proceeding. The security forces conducted searches at 19 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kirsanov, as well as at Kuzhelkov’s place of actual residence in the city of Lukhovitsy (Moscow Region). Nikolay was ordered not to leave the place. Anton was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for 430 days, after which he was released under a ban on certain actions. In September 2021, the case went to court.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kuzhelkov
Anton
Prokhorov
Nikolay

Criminal case

Region:
Tambov Region
Locality:
Kirsanov
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, he "deliberately carried out active organizational actions on the territory of the city of Kirsanov, Tambov Region ... expressed in the convening of meetings, the organization of religious speeches and services, the distribution of literature of extremist content, the collection of funds under the guise of donations, the implementation of preaching activities"
Court case number:
12002680011000017
Initiated:
December 21, 2020
Current case stage:
trial in Court of First Instance
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-2/2024 (1-2/2023; 1-15/2022; 1-174/2021)
Court:
Кирсановский районный суд Тамбовской области
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Елена Шубакина
Case History