Case of Starikov and others in Konakovo Aleksandr Shchetinin

 RUSSIA


Case of Starikov and others in Konakovo

Aleksandr Shchetinin

Updated: September 8, 2023


Name: Shchetinin, Aleksandr Viktorovich

Date of Birth: August 13, 1989

Current status: accused

Article of the Russian Criminal Code: 282.2 (1)

Current restrictions: summon to report


Biography


Alexander Shchetinin, an engineer by training, has been interested in natural sciences since childhood. Over time, he believed that all living things were created and decided to live according to Christian standards. In June 2021, a criminal case was opened against the man, accusing him of extremism due to his religious views.


Alexander was born in August 1989 in Podolsk, Moscow region. He has an older sister. Alexander's father is an economist, his mother is an electronics engineer. As a child, Alexander was fond of drawing, studied English, and was interested in exploring the world around him.


Alexander's mother has been studying the Bible since the early 1990s. He also showed interest in this book. Later, studying it on his own, Alexander was impressed by the positive impact of high moral standards on people's lives. He loved that those who studied the Scriptures became better people—kinder and more compassionate. This prompted Alexander to take the Christian path in 2007.


After studying at the Moscow Agricultural Academy with a degree in landscape engineering, Alexander was called up for military service, instead of which he completed alternative civilian service, guided by peace-loving views. He worked as an orderly in a psychiatric hospital in the city of Dubna (Moscow region). Later, Alexander worked as a driver, then as a freight forwarder. Now he is a dispatcher in a small private company.


Alexander has many friends, he often spends time with them, loves active games, sports, and hiking in nature.


The criminal prosecution has disrupted Alexander’s usual way of life: investigative activities require traveling long distances, and he often has to take time off from work. Relatives are worried about what happened. Relatives who do not share the religious views of the believer are outraged by the persecution of this peace-loving and decent man.


Brief history of the case


In July 2021, searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the cities of Konakovo and Ivanovo. 61-year-old Alexander Starikov, who is in the care of his 95-year-old seriously ill father, and 34-year-old Sergei Naumenko, were subject to criminal prosecution. A month earlier, senior investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Tver region, Sergei Erofeev, opened two criminal cases against believers, accusing them of “organizing the activities of an extremist organization” only for reading the Bible and discussing Christian teachings with residents of the Konakovo region. Starikov and Naumenko were interrogated and released on bail. Later, both criminal cases were merged into one.


Criminal case


Region:

Tver Region

Locality:

Konakovo

What is suspected:

“using the video conferencing program ZOOM... convened and conducted meetings, carried out preaching activities and disseminated the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses”

Criminal case number:

12107280001075037

Initiated:

June 17, 2021

Current stage of the case:

review of case materials by the accused

Investigates:

Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Tver Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)

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