Peresunko Denis

Name: Peresunko Denis Petrovich
Date of Birth: March 11, 1978
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 329 day in a pre-trial detention, 1009 day in prison
Sentence: punishment in the form of 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment to be served in a penal colony of general regime; with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public religious organizations for a period of 4 years; with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year
Currently held in: Correctional Colony No. 6 of the Udmurtian Republic
Address for correspondence: Peresunko Denis Petrovich, born 1978, Correctional Colony No. 6 of the Udmurtian Republic, Ul. Zavodskaya, 2A, st. Lyuga, Mozhginskiy district, Udmurtian Republic, 427750

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the «zonatelecom».

Parcels and parcels should not be sent because of the limit on their number per year.

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

Biography

In September 2020, Denis Peresunko lost his wife Olga who had the same views. She died from the aftereffects of the coronavirus. This tragedy took place against the backdrop of a criminal prosecution against a believer that began in 2019.

Denis was born in March 1978 in Volgograd. He has a younger sister. Denis received the profession of a turner.

Prior to his acquaintance with Bible teachings, Denis had problems with alcohol. At some point, he prayed to God for help. Two days later, Jehovah's Witnesses came to him. His Bible study, which he began with their help, was, in his conviction, the answer to prayer: he was able to cope with his addiction and change his lifestyle.

Now Denis is on disability: he suffered a spinal injury and also suffers from several chronic diseases. The death of his wife exacerbated the stress of the criminal prosecution, which worsened Denis's illness. Relatives who do not share his faith consider the sentence imposed on Denis for his religious views as unmotivated.

Case History

In the spring of 2019, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against believers from Volgograd. Sergey Melnik, Igor Egozaryan, Valeriy Rogozin and Denis Peresunko were accused of organizing an extremist organization, and the latter two were also accused of financing it. They spent 5 to 7 months in the detention center. Lawyers drew the attention of Judge Irina Struk to numerous violations by the investigation. Some witnesses stated that their testimonies were falsified. Secret witnesses were interrogated incognito — according to them, they feared for their lives and health. In September 2021, the court sentenced four believers to prison terms ranging from 6 years to 6 years and 5 months. In March 2022, a court of appeal upheld the verdict. In August of the same year, Igor Egozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Valeriy Rogozin were taken 1,200 km from their home to correctional colony No. 6 in the Republic of Udmurtia, and Sergey Melnik was later transferred to correctional colony No. 5 in the Kirov Region.
Timeline
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