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00:00:09 On June 26, 2019, in Kaluga, Russia, 00:00:13 mass searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers. 00:00:16 Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:00:18 Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin, 00:00:20 were arrested simply because of their religion. 00:00:23 I heard a commotion on the street. 00:00:26 When I went out, I saw two masked men in the courtyard. 00:00:30 I took the keys for the gate and opened the door. 00:00:32 Several more men were there. 00:00:34 My daughter came out. 00:00:35 She was barefoot, 00:00:37 and they made her stand next to me on the courtyard flagstone. 00:00:41 It was drizzling. 00:00:43 I asked to let the child put shoes on. 00:00:45 He said, “Later.” 00:00:47 The believer, Roman Makhnev, 00:00:51 was handcuffed, even though in no way 00:00:54 was he ever aggressive or disorderly. 00:00:57 At the same time, another group of security forces burst 00:01:00 into Dmitriy and Svetlana Kuzin’s apartment. 00:01:04 I was here in this room at home, 00:01:06 watering my plants. 00:01:07 I heard my husband unlocking the door. 00:01:11 I went out of the room and saw a bunch of people. 00:01:14 My husband had obviously been knocked down 00:01:16 face-first to the tile floor as he came in. 00:01:20 His hands were handcuffed behind his back. 00:01:22 Yet another group of armed law-enforcement officers 00:01:25 raided the home of 87-year-old Olga Verevkina. 00:01:30 There was a full SWAT team in camouflage. 00:01:33 No warrant was shown. 00:01:35 They demanded, “Get up!” 00:01:38 I said: “I can’t. 00:01:40 I’m infirm.” 00:01:42 My blood pressure went up to 200/115. 00:01:46 According to the believers, during the searches, 00:01:49 publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials were planted 00:01:53 in their homes and their rights were violated. 00:01:57 I heard Dasha scream: “This was not in my room! 00:02:00 Explain to me how it got here!” 00:02:02 And I heard my husband’s voice, saying, “This was planted.” 00:02:06 Just that afternoon, 00:02:08 I was vacuuming under the bed, 00:02:09 and there was nothing there. 00:02:11 No one identified himself. 00:02:13 No documents were shown. 00:02:15 The search began at 9:00 in the evening 00:02:19 and lasted until about 4:30 in the morning. 00:02:23 But for camouflaged security forces 00:02:28 to burst in on old, infirm people 00:02:32 —that’s unbelievable! 00:02:34 It’s quite interesting. 00:02:35 In order to deal with an elderly woman, 00:02:38 our law-enforcement officers come en masse, 00:02:41 wearing masks, and carrying weapons. 00:02:44 What cowards! 00:02:46 And these people claim that they are actually fighting extremism. 00:02:51 After the searches, Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin 00:02:55 were taken to the FSB building. 00:02:57 When Papa was taken away, the only thing I managed to whisper to him 00:03:01 was that I was proud of his integrity. 00:03:03 And then they took him away, and I felt sad. 00:03:07 I was scared. 00:03:14 When they brought Roman to the FSB building, 00:03:17 he was handcuffed to a radiator 00:03:20 in some sort of utility room 00:03:23 and was kept like this until he was called 00:03:25 for questioning in the morning. 00:03:28 It is noteworthy that several hours earlier, during the searches, 00:03:31 an ambulance was called for Roman Makhnev. 00:03:35 Roman became very ill. 00:03:37 Dasha started to scream. 00:03:39 The FSB called an ambulance, and it came quickly enough. 00:03:42 He was given medication, and then he felt better. 00:03:46 Roman was arrested on the 26th, and they didn’t feed him until the 29th. 00:03:50 Roman Makhnev was given no food for three days. 00:03:54 They said, 00:03:56 “Well, he could eat whatever he brought with him.” 00:03:58 Interesting. 00:03:59 I have filed complaints with various agencies. 00:04:03 On June 28, two days after their arrest, 00:04:06 the Kaluzhskiy District Court sent 00:04:08 Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin to a detention center. 00:04:20 I hope that people will realize 00:04:22 that my dad is not guilty of anything, 00:04:24 and he is not a criminal. 00:04:25 Therefore, I hope that soon he’ll be back, 00:04:28 and we will be together again. 00:04:29 The believers do not agree with the charges, 00:04:32 and they intend to seek justice. 00:04:36 I don’t know if we’ll be able to, but I’m determined to fight 00:04:40 to the end to help my husband 00:04:42 and to support him. 00:04:44 I very much hope that common sense will prevail 00:04:50 and that the authorities will finally realize 00:04:52 that we do not present a threat to society, 00:04:55 much less to the State.
00:00:09 On June 26, 2019, in Kaluga, Russia, 00:00:13 mass searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers. 00:00:16 Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:00:18 Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin, 00:00:20 were arrested simply because of their religion. 00:00:23 I heard a commotion on the street. 00:00:26 When I went out, I saw two masked men in the courtyard. 00:00:30 I took the keys for the gate and opened the door. 00:00:32 Several more men were there. 00:00:34 My daughter came out. 00:00:35 She was barefoot, 00:00:37 and they made her stand next to me on the courtyard flagstone. 00:00:41 It was drizzling. 00:00:43 I asked to let the child put shoes on. 00:00:45 He said, “Later.” 00:00:47 The believer, Roman Makhnev, 00:00:51 was handcuffed, even though in no way 00:00:54 was he ever aggressive or disorderly. 00:00:57 At the same time, another group of security forces burst 00:01:00 into Dmitriy and Svetlana Kuzin’s apartment. 00:01:04 I was here in this room at home, 00:01:06 watering my plants. 00:01:07 I heard my husband unlocking the door. 00:01:11 I went out of the room and saw a bunch of people. 00:01:14 My husband had obviously been knocked down 00:01:16 face-first to the tile floor as he came in. 00:01:20 His hands were handcuffed behind his back. 00:01:22 Yet another group of armed law-enforcement officers 00:01:25 raided the home of 87-year-old Olga Verevkina. 00:01:30 There was a full SWAT team in camouflage. 00:01:33 No warrant was shown. 00:01:35 They demanded, “Get up!” 00:01:38 I said: “I can’t. 00:01:40 I’m infirm.” 00:01:42 My blood pressure went up to 200/115. 00:01:46 According to the believers, during the searches, 00:01:49 publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials were planted 00:01:53 in their homes and their rights were violated. 00:01:57 I heard Dasha scream: “This was not in my room! 00:02:00 Explain to me how it got here!” 00:02:02 And I heard my husband’s voice, saying, “This was planted.” 00:02:06 Just that afternoon, 00:02:08 I was vacuuming under the bed, 00:02:09 and there was nothing there. 00:02:11 No one identified himself. 00:02:13 No documents were shown. 00:02:15 The search began at 9:00 in the evening 00:02:19 and lasted until about 4:30 in the morning. 00:02:23 But for camouflaged security forces 00:02:28 to burst in on old, infirm people 00:02:32 —that’s unbelievable! 00:02:34 It’s quite interesting. 00:02:35 In order to deal with an elderly woman, 00:02:38 our law-enforcement officers come en masse, 00:02:41 wearing masks, and carrying weapons. 00:02:44 What cowards! 00:02:46 And these people claim that they are actually fighting extremism. 00:02:51 After the searches, Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin 00:02:55 were taken to the FSB building. 00:02:57 When Papa was taken away, the only thing I managed to whisper to him 00:03:01 was that I was proud of his integrity. 00:03:03 And then they took him away, and I felt sad. 00:03:07 I was scared. 00:03:14 When they brought Roman to the FSB building, 00:03:17 he was handcuffed to a radiator 00:03:20 in some sort of utility room 00:03:23 and was kept like this until he was called 00:03:25 for questioning in the morning. 00:03:28 It is noteworthy that several hours earlier, during the searches, 00:03:31 an ambulance was called for Roman Makhnev. 00:03:35 Roman became very ill. 00:03:37 Dasha started to scream. 00:03:39 The FSB called an ambulance, and it came quickly enough. 00:03:42 He was given medication, and then he felt better. 00:03:46 Roman was arrested on the 26th, and they didn’t feed him until the 29th. 00:03:50 Roman Makhnev was given no food for three days. 00:03:54 They said, 00:03:56 “Well, he could eat whatever he brought with him.” 00:03:58 Interesting. 00:03:59 I have filed complaints with various agencies. 00:04:03 On June 28, two days after their arrest, 00:04:06 the Kaluzhskiy District Court sent 00:04:08 Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin to a detention center. 00:04:20 I hope that people will realize 00:04:22 that my dad is not guilty of anything, 00:04:24 and he is not a criminal. 00:04:25 Therefore, I hope that soon he’ll be back, 00:04:28 and we will be together again. 00:04:29 The believers do not agree with the charges, 00:04:32 and they intend to seek justice. 00:04:36 I don’t know if we’ll be able to, but I’m determined to fight 00:04:40 to the end to help my husband 00:04:42 and to support him. 00:04:44 I very much hope that common sense will prevail 00:04:50 and that the authorities will finally realize 00:04:52 that we do not present a threat to society, 00:04:55 much less to the State.
