Updated: March 19, 2024
Name: Karimov Ilkham Shamilevich
Date of Birth: February 9, 1981
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 157 day in a pre-trial detention, 105 day Under house arrest
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 2 years and 6 months; The sentence of imprisonment shall be considered suspended with a probationary period of 2 years

Biography

Ilham Karimov was born in 1981 in Jambay (Uzbekistan). Since childhood, he was fond of radio engineering, went in for sports. To help the family, he bred rabbits. Ilham's father was a teacher, his mother works as a seamstress.

Ilham received a secondary specialized education and worked as a glassblower. In 2000, he moved to Russia, to the city of Belebey (Bashkortostan). To support his family in Uzbekistan, including his mother, two sisters and a brother, Ilham worked three jobs, was a carpenter, installer, electrician and handyman. Later, Ilham's entire family was able to reunite in Russia.

In 2001, Ilham, faced with injustice, prayed to God for help and met Jehovah's Witnesses the very next day. Eventually, his mother, sisters, and brother joined him in a Bible study.

After moving to Naberezhnye Chelny, Ilham met Yulia. In 2012, they started a family. Before the sudden arrest, Ilham helped Yulia raise her son, support him in his studies and cycling, the whole family was fond of landscaping the garden plot, spent time with friends and in nature.

The criminal case and the arrest of Ilham plunged his family and friends into a state of shock, as he is well known as a moral and law-abiding person who has nothing to do with extremism. They are convinced that the Russian Constitution should guarantee freedom of religion for all.

Case History

In May 2018, in Naberezhnye Chelny, security forces invaded 10 apartments of local residents with searches. Ilham Karimov, Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov and Aidar Yulmetyev were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months, after which they spent 2 to 3 months under house arrest. The reason for the criminal prosecution is faith in Jehovah God and communication with fellow believers. In November 2019, the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court returned the case to the prosecutor for revision due to falsifications on the part of the investigation. The case was not closed, the believers remained under recognizance not to leave. In December 2021, Judge Rustam Khakimov found the men guilty and sentenced them to suspended sentences: Myakushin to 3 years and 1 month, Yulmetyev to 2 years and 9 months, and Matrashov and Karimov to 2.5 years. All were also assigned a probationary period of 2 years. The Court of Appeal upheld this judgment of first instance on September 2, 2022.