Additional Name(s): Aleksander Ivshin, Ivshin, Aleksandr Yevgeniyevich
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Russia
Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Health Concerns: Contracted COVID-19
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 7 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: February/10/2021
Date of Sentencing: February/10/2021
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Religious Activity Religious Belief Singing, Playing, & Producing Religious Songs & Music
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism
Aleksandr Ivshin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On February 10, 2021, the Abinsk District Court of Krasnodar sentenced Ivshin to seven years and six months in prison for “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). Authorities accused him of discussing the Bible with friends and organizing online religious services that included singing religious songs. Ivshin was taken into custody following the verdict.
On April 15, 2021, the Krasnodar Regional Court upheld Ivshin's sentence.
Ivshin reportedly contracted COVID-19 while in state custody before being transferred to a prison.
Photo attributed to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
"Aleksandr Ivshin" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
"Case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
"In Krasnodar, Appeal Court Left Aleksandr Ivshin, 63, in a Colony for 7.5 Years. His Bible Was Ordered to be Destroyed" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
"An unprecedentedly harsh sentence for a 63-year-old witness from the village of Kholmskaya: a seven-and-a-half year imprisonment for practicing faith" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia