Ledyaykin Andrey

Updated: April 19, 2024
Name: Ledyaykin Andrey Sergeyevich
Date of Birth: September 18, 1988
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 79 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: Suspended sentence
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 2 years 2 months, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the placement of appeals and other materials in information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet for a term of 5 years, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year, a sentence of imprisonment shall be considered suspended with a probationary period of 2 years

Biography

In July 2020, the life of Andrey Ledyaykin, a peaceful believer from Seversk, changed dramatically: his house was searched, and later he became a defendant in a criminal case.

Andrey was born in September 1988 in the city of Seversk (Tomsk Region). He has an older brother. As a child, Andrey studied in several sections at once: shooting, wrestling and table tennis.

In 2010, Andrey graduated from the National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) with a degree in Applied Informatics in Economics. After graduating from university, he worked as a driver for several months, and in 2011 got a job as an accountant in a construction company. In his free time he likes to ski and ice skate, swim, as well as walk in nature, pick mushrooms.

By the time Andrey first met Jehovah's Witnesses, he had accumulated many questions that had arisen over the years. Having grieved the loss of his beloved grandfather, Andrey longed to find out: what happens after death? Does God Really Torment People in Hell? Who really is God and who was Jesus Christ? These and other questions haunted Andrey. After learning the answers from the Bible, he was so amazed that he decided to devote his life to serving God.

Andrey, who lives with his mother, shares that the criminal prosecution turned their measured life into a real nightmare. Now, every time they ring the intercom or knock on the door, they shudder, and when they see police cars in the yard, they immediately think if they have come to them to search them again. Andrey also notes that the persecution for believing in God wore him out both physically and emotionally. Nervous stress caused his health to deteriorate: he started having headaches, pressure surges, and disturbed sleep.

In addition, due to criminal prosecution, Andrey lost his job at the mayor's office of the city of Seversk. On July 14, 2020, officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee, accompanied by 2 riot policemen, arrived directly at his workplace, from where he was taken for a search, which lasted a total of 12 hours. After it became known about the initiation of a criminal case, the believer was summoned for a conversation with the Seversk Administration and subsequently dismissed. Andrey is in a difficult position, as it is very hard to find another job in a small closed town.

Case History

In July 2020, FSB and Investigative Committee officers, accompanied by two riot policemen, arrived at Andrey Ledyaikin’s place of work, the administration of Seversk, to pick up the believer for a search of his home. After in March 2021, the Investigation Department for ZATO Seversk opened a criminal case against Ledyaykin, he was forced to resign. Three days later, the court chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. In June 2021, Ledyaykin’s case was submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. It was considered by judge Ekaterina Soldatenko. The accusation is based on the testimony of FSB agent Kira Klisheva, who testified against 5 other Jehovah’s Witnesses in Seversk. The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a general regime colony for the believer. In April 2022, the court sentenced Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in a penal colony, and on July 14, the Tomsk Regional Court replaced this term with a suspended sentence.
Timeline