Siyukhov Inver

Updated: April 19, 2024
Name: Siyukhov Inver Ruslanovich
Date of Birth: November 4, 1974
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, 1099 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: Detention center
Sentence: penalty of 6 years' imprisonment to be served in a penal colony of general regime
Currently held in: Detention Center No. 1 in Republic of Adygeya
Address for correspondence: Siyukhov Inver Ruslanovich, born 1974, PFRSI of Penal Colony No. 1 in Republic of Adygeya, ul. Lenina, 28, pgt. Tlyustenkhabl, Republic of Adygeya, Russia, 385228

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail.

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

Biography

Russian law enforcement agencies continue to persecute and oppress citizens on religious grounds. This time, the authorities saw "extremism" in the religion of Inver Siyukhov from Maykop and sent him to a pre-trial detention center.

Inver was born in 1974 in Maykop (Republic of Adygea). He has an older sister. His early childhood was spent in the Georgian city of Gori, later the family returned to Maikop. The parents are currently retired. The father was diagnosed with cancer, and now he is experiencing the persecution of his son especially hard, as he is afraid that he may not live to see his release.

During his school years, Inver was fond of football, collecting scale models of cars. After school, he moved to study in Krasnodar, where he graduated with a degree in accounting and auditing. Inver worked as a cashier-operator in a branch of Sberbank of Russia, later as a chief accountant in a private company, and recently, until he faced persecution, was engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

In the early 1990s, Inver became deeply interested in religion. As he studied the Scriptures, he learned a great deal about the Creator and his qualities such as love, wisdom, justice, and sensitivity. At a young age, he was determined to become a Christian and devote his life to serving God.

Inver's criminal prosecution brought fear, anxiety and emptiness to the family, where laughter was often heard, parents were proud of their children, and sister and brother loved each other. This sad event turned everyone's life upside down. Inver's parents are in emotional shock, their sleep is disturbed. During the search, Inver's father asked the investigator: "Do you know what 'happy old age' means? This is when you can be proud of your children, and I am proud of my son! I'm sure he's not guilty of what he's accused of!" Inver's mother added: "Although in our culture it is not customary to praise your children in front of someone, God grant such children to everyone!"

Inver's sister is deeply affected by her brother's persecution. She says: "Because of the baseless accusation, I suffer a double loss – I was separated from my dear brother and friend. I note with chagrin that in our country the label "extremist" can easily be hung on the most peace-loving people, whose basic internal law is love for God and neighbors. Despite the pain of my parents' suffering and separation from my brother, I am proud of his devotion and courage."

Case History

Operational-search measures against Inver Siyukhov from Maykop have been conducted, presumably, since 2018. In April 2021, the believer’s house was searched. The man was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 2 years and 10 months. The investigation considered the holding of religious meetings using the Internet to be the organization of the activities of an extremist organization. In September 2021, Siyukhov’s case went to court. At the hearings, several witnesses were confused in their testimonies, their words differed from the information from the interrogation protocols. Also at the hearings it turned out that the psycholinguistic examination, on which the accusation is based, was conducted by expert Ruslan Levinsky, who does not have the proper qualifications. In February 2024, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 9 years in prison for the peaceful believer. The court sentenced the believer to 6 years in a penal colony.
Timeline