Court extends arrest of one of Jehovah's Witnesses* detained in Sochi

The Krasnodar Territorial Court left Nikolai Kuzichkin, a Jehovah's Witness* from Sochi, in custody until November 24. The consideration of the appeal filed by Vyacheslav Popov, another detained believer, is postponed. According to advocate Anton Bogdanov, after the detention, Nikolai Kuzichkin was not allowed to be visited by his wife and son.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 17, investigators reported about the arrests of two Jehovah's Witnesses* in Sochi. According to the investigators, for two years, 45-year-old and 68-year-old residents of Adler organized gatherings and religious performances and involved new participants in the organization, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia by the court.

On October 21, the Krasnodar Territorial Court considered an appeal filed by one of Jehovah's Witnesses* detained in Sochi and accused of extremism.

"Today (on October 21), a judge ... has upheld the decision of the Sochi court to extend the detention in custody until November 24 of defendant Nikolai Kuzichkin. The appeal filed by Vyacheslav Popov, another believer detained under the similar article, was postponed for consideration to ... October 22," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by an official from the secretariat of the court for criminal cases. Meanwhile, the official found it difficult to answer the question why a court hearing on the Vyacheslav Popov's appeal had been postponed.

According to Anton Bogdanov, an advocate of the detained Jehovah's Witnesses*, Nikolai Kuzichkin needs serious medical treatment from specialists, "but he was deprived of the right to treatment."

According to the advocate, after his detention, Nikolai Kuzichkin was not allowed to be visited by his wife and son.

* 396 Russian organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are recognized as extremist, and their activities are banned in Russia by the court's decision.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 22, 2019 at 02:48 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.