Deputy prosecutor of Taganrog interrogates the ex-chair of local community of Jehovah's Witnesses, believers fear criminal prosecution

On March 12, Nikolai Trotiuk, the former chair of the "Taganrog" local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses (Rostov region), was summoned to the deputy prosecutor of the city. The believers fear that this fact may be the start of criminal prosecution of the organization followers. This has been reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Grigory Martynov from the press service of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

"The talk of Nikolai Trotiuk with the deputy prosecutor of Taganrog ended with Trotiuk signing a statement to the effect that he, on the basis of Article 51 of the RF Constitution, refuses to give any evidence related to him and his relatives. However, if Trotiuk continues his activity on behalf of the liquidated legal entity, he may be subjected to criminal prosecution and a penalty in the form of 100 to 300 thousand roubles or up to 3 years imprisonment," explained lawyer Victor Zhenkov to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The lawyer says that liquidation of an international religious organization and prohibition on its activity does not deprive "every person" of his/her constitutional rights. He also explained that liquidation of a legal entity does not cancel the norm of the RF Constitution according to which each person has the right to individually or collectively worship any religion (art. 28). However, the facts of arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses by law enforcement officers demonstrate persecution of citizens on the basis of their religious affiliation.

According to Grigory Martynov, it is difficult now to describe how the relations in the city and the region have changed after the prohibition on the IRO: "There are reports that believers are more often arrested and brought to the militia stations in the central districts of the city, but there are also those who sympathize with us."

Grigory Martynov claims that today mass searches in private homes of believers started at 7 a.m. in Tambov.

"On March 17, 2010, early in the morning Tambov militiamen started to intrude, together with witnesses, into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, waking up grown-ups and children, turning upside down personal libraries and store-rooms. Right now, searches are under way in 3 houses of believers. Because of the search, children could not go to school in the family of Mikhail and Larisa Cheprunovs," says Martynov.

According to Martynov, militiamen confiscate all printed matter of the believers, as well as personal computers and documents. "The believers have not been handed copies of orders for the search. They are deprived of an opportunity to call for a lawyer. Some of them have been prohibited to use their telephone for the purpose," reports Grigory Martynov to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.