Extra Bio Info:

Aleksey Berchuk is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On January 21, 2019, authorities arrested Berchuk at a Moscow airport. The next day, he was formally charged with “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC).

On January 23, 2019, Berchuk was released and placed on recognizance.

On June 30, 2021, the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region sentenced Berchuk to eight years in prison, one year and six months of restricted freedom, and a five-and-a-half-year prohibition of assuming governmental, organizational, and administrative positions. Berchuk was subsequently taken into state custody following the trial.

On September 2, 2021, Berchuk's sentence was upheld.

On December 15, 2021, Berchuk arrived at Penal Colony No. 3 in the Republic of Mari El.

Berchuk is married.

Related Cases: Dmitriy Golik

Extra Bio Info:

Snezhana Bazhenova was detained for her religious belief and activity.

On August 19, 2018, authorities arrested Bazhenova, an educator, after police raided her home.  

On August 21, 2018, Bazhenova was released. 

Later that month, Bazhenova was placed on recognizance. 

In November 2019, the Elizovsky District Court tried Bazhenova for allegedly “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC). The court sent the case back to prosecutors to review after not establishing sufficient grounds for prosecution.

On September 25, 2020, the Elizovsky District Court lightened the charged leveled against Bazhenova to “participating in the activities of a public or religious association, or any other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-2 RCC) and sentenced her to two years of suspended imprisonment, three years of probation, and six months of restricted freedom.  According to prosecutors, Bazhenova held religious services. 

On November 17, 2020, the Kamchatka Regional Court denied Bazhenova's appeal. 

On January 18, 2022 the Kamchatka Regional Court acquitted Bazhenova.

On January 31, 2023, the Kamchatka Territorial Court overturned Bazhenova's acquittal and re-imposed her two-year suspended sentence.

On September 12, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upheld Bazhenova's suspended sentence.

Bazhenova is married. 

Extra Bio Info:

Konstantin Bazhenov was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On June 12, 2018, authorities detained Bazhenov following a raid on his home.

On June 21, 2018, Bazhenov was charged with “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC).

On May 20, 2019, the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov ordered Bazhenov's release and prohibited him from leaving his home at night and communicating with those involved in the case via telephone and internet.

On September 19, 2019, the Leninskiy District Court of Saratov sentenced Bazhenov to three years and six months in prison. He was taken into state custody following the trial.

On December 20, 2019, Makhammadiyev's appeal was rejected.

On February 4, 2020, Bazhenov was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk Region.

On May 15, 2020, Bazhenov was informed that his Russian citizenship had been revoked. 

On May 6, 2021, Bazhenov was released from prison but then placed in a temporary detention center for foreign citizens.

On May 19, 2021, authorities deported Bazhenov to Ukraine.

Bazhenov is married. 

Related Cases: Aleksey Budenchuk, Aleksey Miretskiy, Gennadiy German, Roman Gridasov, Feliks Makhammadiyev