Saransk resident Alexander Shevchuk, convicted for his faith as a Jehovah's Witness, was released from prison

  RUSSIA

Saransk resident Alexander Shevchuk, convicted for his faith as a Jehovah's Witness, was released from prison

November 3, 2023 Mordovia

On November 3, 2023, Alexander Shevchuk was released from IK-12 in the Republic of Mordovia. For “spreading faith” in Jehovah God, he spent almost 2 years behind bars - 9 months in a pre-trial detention center and 8.5 months in a colony.

Alexander Shevchuk is a descendant of Jehovah's Witnesses exiled to Siberia, who were later rehabilitated as victims of Stalinist repression. He was detained after searches in February 2019. He was released on his own recognizance during the trial. Alexander served the sentence imposed by the court in correctional colony No. 12 in the Republic of Mordovia.

While serving his sentence, Alexander Shevchuk worked in a clothing industry. The administration and prisoners treated him with respect.

According to Alexander himself, behind bars he had the opportunity to defend his beliefs based on the Bible more than once. “At first, my cellmates were hostile to my position. But over time we understood, and we communicated well,” Shevchuk said about one of the periods of being under arrest. “Conversations like these helped keep me happy.” Of course, they are not the only ones. Letters from friends brought special joy. There was something in every letter that was just right for me.”

According to the lawyer, one of the employees once even said that “this place is not for him.”

The rest of the defendants in the case - Georgy and Elena Nikulin, Vladimir Atryakhin, Alexander Korolev and Denis Antonov - are still serving sentences for believing in God in penal colonies.

The case of Shevchuk and others in Saransk

Brief history of the case

In February 2019, in Saransk, the FSB opened a criminal case against three believers on suspicion of extremism. After massive searches, Vladimir Atryakhin, the father of two young children, as well as Alexander Shevchuk and Georgy Nikulin ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent from 2 to 5 months. Later, 3 more defendants appeared in the case - Alexander Korolev, Elena Nikulina and Denis Antonov. The case came to court in May 2021. The defense managed to show the court several times that the declassified witness Vlasov was giving false testimony. In August 2022, the believers were convicted: Vladimir Atryakhin was sentenced to 6 years, Georgy and Elena Nikulin - 4 years and 2 months, and Alexander Shevchuk, Alexander Korolev and Denis Antonov - 2 years in prison. The appeal upheld the verdict. In October 2023, Alexander Shevchuk was released from prison.

Criminal case

Region:

Mordovia

Locality:

Saransk

What is suspected:

was engaged in “spreading ideology and faith among residents of the Republic of Mordovia... by conducting conversations in public places and residential premises with residents of Saransk and other settlements,” which is interpreted as “organizing the activities of an extremist organization”

Criminal case number:

11907890001000003

Initiated:

February 4, 2019

Current stage of the case:

verdict took effect

Investigates:

Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Mordovia

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2), 282.2 (1), 282.2 (1.1)

Court case number:

1-13/2022 (1-216/2021)

Court:

Leninsky District Court of Saransk

Judge of the trial court:

Elena Simonova