Name: Babayan Samvel Aikazovich
Date of Birth: May 22, 1972
Current status: accused
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 79 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: detention center
Currently held in: Detention Center No.1 for Samara Region
Address for correspondence: Babayan Samvel Aikazovich, born 1972, Detention Center No.1 for Samara Region, Pr. Sadovy, 22, Samara, Samara Region, 443022

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

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

Biography

In the fall of 2024, a civilian resident of Samara, Samvel Babayan, was preparing for a serious operation. He was unable to receive treatment because of the criminal prosecution he was subjected to for his religious beliefs. The believer was taken into custody, creating an additional threat to his health.

Samvel was born in 1972 in the city of Kapan (Armenia). There were five children in the family: four sons and one daughter. Samvel is the youngest child. His father died when the boy was eight. Neither his mother, nor his sister, nor his two brothers are alive now.

As a child, Samvel loved to play football and was a good goalkeeper. He was also fond of music. In his youth, Samvel and his brothers founded their own music group, where he played drums. Young people performed in restaurants and at weddings. Now Samvel still loves music. He also enjoys singing and editing music videos.

Samvel and his wife, Bella, met when they were both 16. They got married in 2000. The couple enjoys spending time with friends. They have a son.

Bella was the first to become interested in Bible teachings. She heard about them from relatives. She was especially impressed by the Bible prophecies that have already come true. In 2001, Bella was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and two years later Samvel joined her. He was touched by the love and unity among believers, as well as the biblical promise of God to bring dead loved ones back to life in the future.

Samvel worked as a builder, as well as a carpenter—he made stairs from wood. Together with his family, he lived in such cities as Yerevan, Azov, Shakhty (Rostov region), Orenburg. They moved to Samara because Bella's mother was ill and needed care and care.

The persecution had a negative impact on all family members. Due to severe stress, Samvel's already poor health deteriorated significantly. Bella is forced to take care of the needs of the family alone and solve issues related to her husband's stay in the pre-trial detention center. She and her son also developed health problems.

The relatives of the spouses are surprised and outraged by such an attitude towards a person who has not committed anything illegal and is in dire need of treatment.

Case History

In September 2024, a series of searches took place at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Samara. As it turned out, two months earlier, an investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Samara opened a criminal case against Samvel Babayan, accusing him of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After interrogation, he was arrested and taken into custody, where his medical condition deteriorated.
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