Safarov Aflatun

Name: Safarov Aflatun Safar
Date of Birth: February 7, 1963
Current status: accused
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 174 day in a pre-trial detention, 150 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: prohibition of certain actions

Biography

In 1994, following Bible teachings, Aflatun Safarov was able to overcome his addiction to gambling and smoking. He ended up behind bars 31 years later because of the same beliefs: he was charged with extremism as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Aflatun was born in February 1963 in the village of Ortagishlag (Azerbaijan) in a large family — he has four brothers and two sisters. The young man served his military service in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and remained there. He qualified as gas-electric welder and worked in his profession until his retirement.

In 1988, Aflatun married Lyubov, and 3 years later the couple began to study the Bible. He was especially moved by the hope of living forever, as he could not accept that death is the end.

In 2001, the family moved from Krasnoyarsk to live in Uyar, where more than 20 years later they faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Lyubov's chronic illnesses worsened after her husband was arrested. Relatives are worried about the Safarovs and wonder why these honest and kind people are called extremists.

Elderly

Case History

In October 2025, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against residents of the Uyarskiy and Rybinskiy districts of Krasnoyarsk Territory. The investigation interpreted peaceful meetings for worship as organizing the activity of an extremist organization, participating in it, and involving others in it. Searches were conducted in the homes of the believers. Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov were placed in custody; two elderly women—Amaliya Malchugova and Tatyana Barakhtenko—were required to sign a recognizance agreement. In February 2026, Sergey Soroka, Aleksandr Murlin, and Ivan Starikov were placed in a pretrial detention center. On the same day, Aleksandr and Zakhar Vakarev were detained at a Moscow airport and subsequently required to sign a recognizance agreement. All the believers held in custody were later transferred to house arrest, and then to a ban on certain actions.
Timeline
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