Biography
Vladimir Kochnev was born in 1979 in Orenburg. His mother raised three children alone, of whom Vladimir was the youngest. As a child, he was fond of fishing and football. His older sister introduced him to the teachings of the Bible. Already at the age of 14, Vladimir made his conscious religious choice. He gained a reputation as a thinking, kind and peace-loving person.
In his youth, Vladimir received the profession of a television and radio mechanic, later he was engaged in construction and metalworking. It has positive characteristics from the place of residence and work.
In the early 2000s, Vladimir met a like-minded person, Galina. In 2003 they got married. These hospitable, sociable and sympathetic spouses have many friends. All of them have a hard time tolerating the unexpected, unfair arrest of Vladimir. In 2018, Vladimir and Galina celebrate their 15th anniversary of family life.
Case History
In May 2018, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Vladimir Kochnev, Vladislav Kolbanov, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov and Nikolay Zhugin. Believers from Orenburg were accused of organizing and financing an extremist organization’s activities and participating in it because of friendly meetings in a café. After the searches, three men were released on recognizance not to leave, and two were detained. Kochnev spent 76 days in pre-trial detention and 72 days under house arrest, while Kolbanov spent 149 days under house arrest. In December 2019, the case went to court, but a month later it was returned to the prosecutor’s office due to the vague nature of the charges. The retrial of the case by another judge began in February 2021. The accusation is based on the testimony of the agent V. Yudin. In August 2023, the judge sentenced the believers to suspended sentences: Logunov and Zhugin — to two and a half years, Kochnev — to two years and eight months, Lekontsev — to three years, and Kolbanov — to three and a half years. The appellate court upheld the verdict.
