Name: Geraskov Yuriy Mikhailovich
Date of Birth: January 12, 1956
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.3 (1), 282.2 (1)
Died while under investigation

Biography

In Kirov, a wave of criminal cases against civilians on the basis of religious affiliation is growing. Her next victim was Yuriy Geraskov. What do we know about this man?

Yuri was born in 1956 in Baku (Azerbaijan). He grew up as the only child in the family. Yuriy's parents died when he was 29 years old. As a child, he was fond of football and photography. After graduating from school, he immediately got a job as a loader in the Philharmonic, now retired. He has a disability of the first group.

In 1993, due to the difficult political situation in Azerbaijan, Yuri was forced to move to Russia. For some time he lived in Apsheronsk (Krasnodar Territory), and later ended up in Kirov, where he met his future wife Alevtina. They got married in 2011. The spouses greatly appreciate the time that they can spend together, walk a lot in the fresh air and often invite friends to visit. Alevtina, being a creative person, is engaged in weaving from the vine, makes various decorative products.

Yuri has always loved to read, and one day his attention was riveted by the Bible. From this book, he learned about the hope for a better future for all people, which enriched his life. Yuriy's Christian beliefs became the reason for initiating a criminal case, which seriously affected his health. According to him, he had a "panic fear of ringing the doorbell."

On April 24, 2020, Yuriy died of a long illness. The investigator was aware of the believer's condition, but did not stop the criminal prosecution.

Case History

In October 2018, searches of believers were carried out in Kirov. A criminal case under extremist articles was initiated against seven local residents, five of them were taken into custody, including Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk, who had been in captivity for almost a year. His fellow believers spent 3 to 11 months in jail and another 6 to 9 months under house arrest. The men were included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. One of the accused, Yuriy Geraskov, died of a long illness a week before the trial. In January 2021, court hearings began. In June 2022, the believers were given suspended sentences ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 years. Yuriy Geraskov was also found guilty of extremism, but the criminal case was dismissed due to his death. The appellate court upheld the verdict against the believers.
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