Case of Poltoradnev and Timoshkin in Solikamsk

 RUSSIA

Case of Poltoradnev and Timoshkin in Solikamsk

Aleksandr Sobyanin

Updated: August 17, 2023

Name: Sobyanin, Aleksandr Mikhailovich

Date of Birth: June 17, 1973

Current status: defendant

Article of the Russian Criminal Code: 282.2(1)

Time spent in prison: 2 days in temporary holding facility

Current restrictions: prohibition on certain actions

Biography

Alexander Sobyanin from Solikamsk faced criminal prosecution for his faith on the eve of his wedding. The beginning of the believer's family life was marked by a search and interrogation.

Alexander was born in June 1973 in the city of Krasnovishersk, Perm Territory. His father worked as a heavy road equipment operator, and his mother worked as a teacher in a kindergarten. Alexander was the eldest child - he has a younger brother and sister.

As a child, Alexander was fond of aircraft modeling and woodcarving, he loved to ride a bicycle and a motorcycle. After school, he worked in a model shop at a paper mill. Recently worked as a blacksmith on hammers and presses.

Even at the age of 5, Alexander was worried about the question: why does every person eventually have to die? He later found the answer to it in the Bible. He was impressed by what he learned and decided to take the Christian path in 1992. Parents and younger brother share the views of Alexander.

With his first wife Alexander lived in Solikamsk. In marriage, they had a daughter. Her mother died when the girl was only 10 years old. In 2020, Alexander got married again. His second wife, Maria, is a trained nurse, massage therapist and fitness instructor. She loves to sing, dance and exercise. Maria shares Alexander's views on life.

In his free time, Alexander skis, goes to the pool and travels. Together with his wife, he loves to cook dishes of the peoples of different countries, sing karaoke and skate.

Faced with criminal prosecution, the couple experienced stress. They recall: “Our life has ceased to be stable. For several weeks we could not relax and sleep peacefully. We no longer felt safe in our apartment.”

Relatives and work colleagues could not believe that Alexander was charged with extremism. Some offered to speak in his defence. “Reading the Bible is not a crime,” said one of the relatives, who did not share the beliefs of Alexander and Mary.

Brief history of the case

In July 2020, the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Perm Territory opened a criminal case against unidentified persons on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. By that time, law enforcement officers had been spying on several Jehovah's Witnesses in Solikamsk for a long time. After searches and interrogations, Vladimir Poltoradnev, Alexander Sobyanin and Vladimir Timoshkin ended up in a temporary detention facility. Then Sobyanin was released under a ban on certain actions, and Poltoradnev and Timoshkin were released under house arrest for 2 and 3 months, respectively. Later, the preventive measure of the latter was changed to a ban on certain actions. After the investigation was repeatedly suspended and resumed, and the prosecutor could not approve the indictment, a new investigator entered the case. In April 2023, the case went to court. During the court hearings, it turned out that many of the evidence in the case were falsified, and witnesses for the prosecution spoke positively about the defendants.

Criminal case

Region:

Perm Territory

Locality:

Solikamsk

What is suspected:

"Directly participated in religious meetings ... discussed with followers issues and topics of a religious nature" (from the decision to bring him as an accused)

Case number:

12002570024000055

Initiated:

July 27, 2020

Current stage of the case:

trial in court of first instance

Investigating:

SO in Solikamsk

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2(1)

Case number in court:

1-180/2023

Court of First Instance:

Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Evgeny Sergeev