Maladyka Vladimir

Name: Maladyka Vladimir Ivanovich
Date of Birth: July 8, 1963
Current status: main sentence served
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 550 day in a pre-trial detention, 286 day Under house arrest, 1021 day in prison
Current restrictions: restriction of freedom
Sentence: punishment in the form of 6 years of imprisonment with serving a sentence in a correctional colony of general regime, with deprivation of the right to engage in educational activities, activities related to speeches and publications in the media, placement of materials in information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet for a period of 7 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year
Released: July 28, 2026

Biography

A devoted family man, talented mechanic, and peaceful Christian, Vladimir Maladyka ended up behind bars after a raid by law enforcement officers on believers in October 2020. At that time, he spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center. Later, in October 2022, the court sentenced Vladimir to 6 years' imprisonment. He was released from the penal colony in the summer of 2026.

Vladimir was born in July 1963 in Yenakiyevo, Donetsk Region, in the family of a miner. After finishing school, he trained as a cook. Later, he studied at the naval aviation technician school in Kaliningrad, where he qualified in "Technical Operation of Aircraft and Engines." He served as a technician in Kacha, Sevastopol (Crimea).

Vladimir has always been interested in cars and especially enjoyed welding car parts. Once, he assembled a fully functional car from the old body of a GAZ-21 and registered it with the traffic authorities.

In 1986, Vladimir married Natalya, and they have been together for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s, the family was facing difficulties. During this period, his brother and sister-in-law visited him and suggested they find out what is written in the Bible. After a long, deep study of the Holy Scriptures, the family decided to become Christians and live by Bible standards.

Those around Vladimir know him as a hospitable and approachable person, always ready to help. However, the authorities considered him a criminal solely because of his beliefs.

Elderly

Case History

In October 2020, law enforcement officers searched the homes of believers in Sevastopol. The day before, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov and Vladimir Sakada. They were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization only because of their faith in Jehovah God. The charge was based on video recordings of four meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses made by FSB agents. The believers spent a day in a temporary detention facility, then the court sent them to a pretrial detention center. In April 2021, the case went to court. During the investigation and trial, they spent more than 1 year and 4 months in a pretrial detention center and over 8 months under house arrest. In October 2022, the court sentenced them to 6 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal upheld this decision a year later, and in December 2024, the verdict was finally upheld by the court of cassation. In June 2026, Yevgeniy Zhukov was released, a month later — Vladimir Maladyka, and in August — Vladimir Sakada.
Timeline
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