Updated: May 2, 2024
Name: Votyakov Aleksandr Vasiliyevich
Date of Birth: November 29, 1973
Current status: Defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 176 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: Recognizance agreement

Biography

In the winter of 2022, a builder from Izhevsk, Aleksandr Votyakov, found to his surprise, that he is accused of extremism. The believer's home was searched, and he was placed under house arrest. The reason for the criminal prosecution was his love for the Bible and its prophecies.

Aleksandr was born in Izhevsk in November 1973. He has a younger brother and their mother is already retired; neither are religious.

As a child, Aleksandr was fond of checkers. After school, he decided to enter a workforce and went to a vocational college, where he trained as a modeler. He applies the acquired skills in construction. In his free time, Aleksandr likes to be outdoors in nature and spend time with his wife and friends.

In 2006, he became a Christian with the help of his wife, the first in the family who was interested in Bible teachings. Aleksandr was impressed by the prophecies written in the Holy Scriptures hundreds of years ago being fulfilled before his eyes.

The criminal prosecution and house arrest deprived the believer of the opportunity to care for loved ones and communicate with friends. Relatives are at a loss and cannot understand why this decent person is being prosecuted.

Case History

In December 2022, searches were carried out in Izhevsk at the homes of local believers. Two men were detained. Aleksandr Votyakov was placed under house arrest, which lasted about six months, and Yevgeniy Stefanidin received a recognizance agreement. The stress he experienced back in April 2021 due to the first search provoked the growth of a tumor in the chest, the young man received a group II disability. The Investigative Committee interprets collective reading and discussion of the Bible as a continuation of the activities of a liquidated extremist organization. In August 2023, the case of the believers went to court.