Updated: March 28, 2024
Name: Kazadaev Pavel Alekseyevich
Date of Birth: September 30, 1996
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 223 day in prison
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 3 years with serving the sentence in a correctional colony of general regime with restriction of liberty for 6 months
Currently held in: Penal Colony No. 5 in Altai Territory
Address for correspondence: Kazadaev Pavel Alekseyevich, born 1996, IK No. 5 in Altai Territory, ul. Traktornaya, 23, g. Rubcovsk, Altai Territory, Russia, 658209

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Note: discussing topics related to criminal prosecution is not allowed in letters; languages other than Russian will not pass.

Biography

Pavel Kazadaev refused to learn to fight out of love for people and used the right to alternative civilian service (ACS), but in 2021 he was accused of "undermining the constitutional order" due to the fact that he professes the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and discusses the Bible with others. In April 2023, the court sentenced him to 3 years probation, four months later the appeal replaced this term with a real one.

Pavel was born in September 1996 in the city of Ust-Ilimsk (Irkutsk region). Two years later, the family moved to the village of Lugovoye (Altai Territory). His father works as a machine operator at the factory, my mother works in the field of cleanliness. Pavel is the eldest of three sons. As a child, he was fond of volleyball, football, cycling and ice skating. He graduated from school with honors.

Parents from early childhood instilled in their sons high moral standards. Pavel said he was fascinated by the wisdom of the universe and the benefits of applying Bible counsel. In Pavel’s family, 15 people, including himself, try to live according to the Christian principles set forth in the Bible.

After studying at school, Pavel decided to go through the ACS, since his convictions do not allow him to take up arms. He worked as a postman in his village. At the end of the service, he worked as a repairman for phones and tablets, then worked for some time in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order on the streets of the city. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as an installer and technician for video surveillance, fire and burglar alarms.

Since May 2021, due to his recognizance not to leave, Pavel cannot leave the village of Lugovoye. Now he is unable to provide for his family, since it is almost impossible to find work in the village.

In 2020, Pavel married Darya, who, like him, appreciates biblical wisdom since childhood. She always dreamed of finding true friends and found them among fellow believers, as she made sure that they live according to biblical principles. Darya likes foreign languages, she mastered sign language. The couple are fond of cooking, like spending time with friends, traveling and going to the mountains. In February 2021, the Kazadaevs moved to Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region).

Religious persecution affected the health of Pavel’s family, who were emotionally disturbed by the unjust criminal prosecution of the believer.

Case History

In May 2021, the Investigative Committee accused Pavel Kazadaev of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, “including through discussions.” A massive raid, named “Armageddon”, was conducted at the homes of the believers in the Altai Territory. The law enforcement officers searched the house of Pavel’s relatives in the village of Lugovoe, as well as his apartment in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region), after which he was taken to Barnaul for interrogation. After 24 hours in a detention center, he signed a recognizance agreement. At the end of June 2022, the criminal case went to court. In April 2023, Pavel Kazadaev was given a 3-year suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for 6 months and a probation period of 2 years. In August, the Court of Appeal toughened the sentence, replacing the suspended sentence with imprisonment in a penal colony for 3 years.