Dergalev Anton

Name: Dergalev Anton Olegovich
Date of Birth: May 24, 1985
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Time spent in prison: 361 day in a pre-trial detention, 882 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: suspended sentence
Sentence: Punishment in the form of 6 years 6 months of imprisonment, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of religious organizations for a period of 5 years, with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year, the sentence of imprisonment shall be considered suspended with a probationary period of 4 years

Biography

After a raid on the homes of believers in Dagestan on June 1, 2019, law enforcement officers detained four civilians — one woman and three men. Three days later, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent all four to a pre-trial detention center. Among them is Anton Dergalev. What is known about him?

Anton was born in 1985 in Rostov-on-Don. When he was not even ten years old, his father left the family, so his mother had to work hard and raise her two sons to their feet. In childhood and adolescence he was fond of studying flora and fauna, loved to cook.

Anton is an electrician and landscape designer by profession. He worked on landscaping, helped in organizing weddings. He also participated in charity banquets for children with disabilities. In his free time, he likes to go with friends to nature, to the mountains, to fishing, skiing. For several years he lived in Pyatigorsk. In 2007, at the invitation of a friend, he came to Makhachkala, fell in love with this city and decided to stay there.

Anton's mother and grandmother instilled in him a love of Christian values. He was especially touched by the fact that, according to the Holy Scriptures, soon people of different nationalities will live as one big friendly family, and peace and harmony will become a reality.

Anton's brother, who does not share his religious beliefs, cannot believe that his brother is being tried for something he did not commit. Anton's mother is in a state of shock. She is sure that her son is a worthy person, kind, attentive, who has not done anything reprehensible.

Case History

In the summer of 2019, the homes of local Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched in four cities of Dagestan. Two religious brochures on the list of extremist materials were planted in one of the homes. Prior to this, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Mariya Karpova, accusing them of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Additionally, the three men were charged with financing a banned organization, while the woman was charged with involving others in it. All four were put on the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists. The believers spent 362 days in pre-trial detention, after which they were placed under house arrest. In 2020, the cassation court declared that their detention in a pre-trial detention center for 8 out of 12 months was unlawful. In March 2021, the consideration of the case on the merits began. In November 2022, the court gave Abdullayev, Abdulgalimov and Dergalev 6.5 year suspended sentences and gave Karpova a 6 year suspended sentence.
Timeline
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