Name: Shmidt Igor Yakovlevich
Date of Birth: June 18, 1972
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 255 day in a pre-trial detention, 213 day Under house arrest, 1073 day in prison
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 6 years, with deprivation of the right to engage in educational activities, activities related to speeches and publications in the media, posting materials in information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet for a period of 6 years and with restriction of liberty for 1 year with serving the main sentence in a correctional colony of general regime
Currently held in: Correctional Colony No. 10 of the Rostov Region
Address for correspondence: Shmidt Igor Yakovlevich, born 1972, Correctional Colony No. 10 of the Rostov Region, Pereulok Kazachiy, 22, Rostov-on-Don, 344033

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

Friends, neighbors and acquaintances know Igor Schmidt from Sevastopol as a man with impeccable reputation, loyal friend, responsible person, always ready to help. However, the usual way of life of a peaceful Christian was violated by a search and arrest. He was accused of extremist activity and was imprisoned on October 1, 2020.

Igor was born in 1972 in Lariak village (Tyumen region). He has a sister who currently lives abroad. After school, Igor graduated from a technical school in Nizhnevartovsk. He worked as an individual entrepreneur. In 2001, he moved to Sevastopol. In his spare time, Igor likes to go to nature, by the sea, go to picturesque places of Crimea.

Igor learned about the Bible from his mother. He was impressed by how knowledge from this book changed her life. It became more cheerful, and communication with fellow believers had a beneficial effect on it. Such changes in her mother prompted Igor to get acquainted closer with the Holy Scriptures. He decided to become a Christian and never regretted the choice made.

Igor's sister, friends and acquaintances do not understand why this peaceful man suddenly began to be considered a dangerous criminal and was imprisoned only because he believes in God Jehovah.

Case History

In October 2020, security forces searched the homes of local believers in Sevastopol. The next day, the court sent four of them, including Igor Schmidt, to the pre-trial detention center. He was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because of his faith. Schmidt spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, after which he was transferred to house arrest. In April 2021, the judge of the Gagarinsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol, Lyudmila Tumaykina, began consideration of the case. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a general regime colony for Igor Schmidt. In October 2021, the court sentenced him to 6 years in prison, and in January 2022, the appeal upheld this decision. The believer is serving time in a colony.
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