Updated: March 28, 2024
Name: Karpushkina Maya Pavlovna
Date of Birth: March 19, 1949
Current status: Defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Current restrictions: Recognizance agreement

Biography

On November 10, 2018, in Khabarovsk, 30 riot policemen broke into a café where a friendly party was taking place. After breaking down the doors, they staged hours of mass interrogation of those present, including minors, with the seizure of personal property and fingerprinting. Criminal cases were opened against several party participants in connection with their religion. Among them was Maya Karpushkina. What do we know about her?

Maya was born in 1949 in the village of Anuchino, Primorsky Krai. Her parents are no longer alive, but there is a sister who is 2 years younger. Maya grew up active and sociable, loved dancing and was engaged in an ensemble. She graduated from the Spassk Pedagogical School and received a specialty as a primary school teacher. After studying in the direction, she went to Khabarovsk and stayed to live in this city.

Almost all her life, Maya worked in her specialty. Recently, after retiring, she got a job as a salesman in a bread kiosk. She has a vegetable garden where she not only grows vegetables, but also enjoys planting flowers. He also helps with the upbringing of grandchildren and great-grandson. She has known her husband since school, he was her classmate. The family has three children: a son and two daughters. Now they have grown up and live separately with their families.

Maya is the only one in the family who takes the Bible and its commandments seriously. "I really liked that the people who talked to me on spiritual topics knew the Holy Scriptures well, and most importantly, they themselves adhered to the biblical teachings in their lives," Maya recalls. Having lived a decent life, she could never have imagined that she would be written down as an "extremist" simply because of her faith in God.

Case History

Khabarovsk civilians Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, spouses Vitaliy and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and Maya Karpushkina were under investigation after a riot police platoon broke into a friendly party in a café in November 2018. Three men were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and later under house arrest. As a result, the Investigative Committee charged six Jehovah’s Witnesses: men with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and women with participating in it. The only reason is to believe in Jehovah God and discuss the Bible with friends. 14 months of trials and 20 sessions of the court of first instance revealed the groundlessness of the accusation, and the case was returned to the prosecutor’s office. In December 2021, it went to court again.