Eduard Sviridov
Additional Name(s): Eduard Vyacheslavovich Sviridov, Свиридов Эдуард Вячеславович
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Russia
Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness
Sentence: 6 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: August/25/2021
Date of Sentencing: December/22/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism
Eduard Sviridov
Extra Bio Info:
Eduard Sviridov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On August 25, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested Sviridov after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses. He was accused of “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) for having discussions about the Bible.
On December 22, 2023, the Cheremushkinsky District Court sentenced Sviridov to six 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).
Sviridov is married.
Related Cases: Sean Pike, Aleksandr Rumyantsev
Sources:
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Photo attributed to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
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"Eduard Sviridov" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
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"Case of Rumyantsev and others in Moscow" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
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USCIRF Commissioner Abraham Cooper and Susie Gelman, Tweet, December 26, 2023
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"A Court in Moscow Handed Down a Harsh Sentence to Three of Jehovah's Witnesses—From Six and a Half to Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Their Faith" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
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"A Series of Searches in Southwest Moscow. Three Believers Detained" Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia