Bushev case in Chelyabinsk Yevgeniy Bushev

 RUSSIA

Bushev case in Chelyabinsk

Yevgeniy Bushev

Updated: October 26, 2023

Name: Bushev, Yevgeniy Valeriyevich

Date of Birth: November 9, 1973

Current status: defendant

Article of the Russian Criminal Code: 282.2 (2)

Current restrictions: recognizance agreement

Biography

Yevgeniy Bushev found out that he was a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in September 2022, when the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in his hometown of Chelyabinsk and he himself became one of the victims of illegal actions by law enforcement officials.

Yevgeniy was born in November 1973 in Chelyabinsk. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked as a nurse in a kindergarten. Parents divorced when the boy was 6. After 30 years, Yevgeniy resumed communication with his father, and they kept in touch until his death. The mother is also no longer alive.

From his youth, Yevgeniy was seriously fond of sports—first boxing, then karate, participated in city competitions. He wanted to improve in martial arts, but after an injury in 1995, he had to end his sports career. He was also fond of painting and photography.

After school, Yevgeniy entered an industrial college, but did not finish his studies, as he devoted most of his time to sports. He graduated from the courses of an electric and gas welder and studied to be a turner. After retiring from the sport, Yevgeniy underwent special training and worked as a security guard for 8 years. Recently, he was engaged in the repair and maintenance of buildings.

Since childhood, Yevgeniy has been asking questions: what is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Does humanity have a future? Why is evil not always punished? He looked for answers in different religions and philosophies. At the age of 30, Yevgeniy began to study the Bible. He was impressed by the consistency of this book with science, the fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in it, and the wisdom of its laws. In 2004, he decided to embark on the Christian path.

Yevgeniy still loves sports—he rides a bicycle, goes hiking in the mountains and performs strength exercises on the uneven bars, horizontal bar and kettlebells.

Due to criminal prosecution, the believer lost a stable source of income, as he was forced to resign, and his bank accounts were blocked. Also, due to stress, chronic diseases have worsened.

Yevgenшy's relatives and friends do not understand why they are persecuting this law-abiding citizen.

Brief history of the case

On a September evening in 2022, Evgeny Bushev from Chelyabinsk was visiting a friend when security forces invaded and searched him. As it turned out, the Russian Investigative Committee suspected Evgeniy of participating in extremist activities, and a criminal case was opened against him. The believer was taken home for a search, and the next day he was given a written undertaking not to leave. According to investigator Alexander Chepenko, Evgeniy is guilty of extremism for attending services of Jehovah's Witnesses and talking about the Bible. In August 2023, the court accepted the case materials for consideration.

Timeline

Criminal case

Region:

Chelyabinsk Region

Locality:

Chelyabinsk

What is suspected:

“Took part in the activities of a religious association... in the form of participation in religious meetings and meetings of an extremist organization, conducting conversations with residents of Chelyabinsk, demonstrating and watching educational videos” (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)

Criminal case number:

12202750030000030

Initiated:

August 24, 2022

Current stage of the case:

trial in court of first instance

Investigates:

Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2)

Court case number:

1-982/2023

Court of First Instance:

Kalininsky District Court of Chelyabinsk

Judge of the trial court:

Anton Erofeev