Name: Kudinov Viktor Ivanovich
Date of Birth: January 25, 1969
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 52 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: prohibition of certain actions

Biography

For more than 30 years, Viktor Kudinov worked as a bus driver in Sevastopol and was awarded the medal "The Best Driver of the City". In August 2022, this respectable citizen was accused of extremism because of his faith in Jehovah God.

Viktor was born in January 1969 in Budapest. When he was 4 years old, the family returned to the Crimea. Soon the parents divorced and the upbringing of the boy and his older sister fell on the shoulders of his grandmother. From an early age, Victor helped her with the housework and worked part-time at the state farm during the holidays. He grew up friendly and kind, and loved hiking and playing sports. He was fond of photography, in high school he led a photo circle.

At the age of 15, Victor thought about entering a theological seminary, but his uncle dissuaded him. After school, Victor studied at college as a car repairman. At the same time, he was trained as a driver. Viktor worked at Sevastopol Avtodor. He has many certificates and letters of thanks from various enterprises and the city administration, as well as the above-mentioned medal for professional activity.

In 1990, while working as a bus driver, Viktor met Svetlana, and a year later they got married. The Kudinovs have two children, a daughter and a son.

Svetlana was the first to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. Victor joined her when he saw that thanks to the new knowledge, their family became happier, and the relationship in marriage strengthened. In 2010, he embarked on the path of a Christian.

The couple love to relax with family and friends at sea, as well as travel around the Crimea. They have a good relationship with their children and grandchildren.

Neighbors and colleagues know Victor as a kind, hospitable, hardworking and cheerful person. All of them are worried about his criminal prosecution.

Case History

In August 2022, another search was carried out in the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sevastopol. Two men, Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov, were detained, and 2 days later they were placed under house arrest. The Investigative Committee charged the believers with organizing the activities of an extremist organization for holding online worship services. In October, the court replaced the men’s preventive measure with a ban on certain actions. The case went to court in March 2023.
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