Name: Okhrimchuk Andrey Vladislavovich
Date of Birth: July 4, 1979
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2), 282.3 (1)
Current restrictions: suspended sentence
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 4 years with restriction of liberty for 1 year; The sentence of imprisonment shall be considered suspended with a probationary period of 4 years

Biography

In May 2019, security officials wearing masks and body armor invaded Andrey Okhrimchuk from Rostov-on-Don. They conducted a search in the presence of their young daughter. He was charged with two "extremist" articles at once only because he believes in Jehovah God.

Andrey was born in 1979 in the city of Korosten (Ukraine). His parents are retired. There is a younger brother. When the boy was 10 years old, the family moved to live in the Rostov region. As a child, Andrey attended the freestyle wrestling section. After school, he was educated as an electrical technician in Novocherkassk. After serving in the army, he moved to Rostov-on-Don. He worked in the field of water transport.

Since childhood, Andrey had a strong craving for the spiritual. The first acquaintance with the Bible began from the moment when his aunt gave him a book to read about the life of Jesus Christ. The young man read it over and over again. He was impressed by the Bible prophecies and their accurate fulfillment. Subsequently, Andrey made the decision to become a Christian.

Andrey met his future wife, Yekaterina, thanks to his general passion for water-motor sports. Ekaterina sews awnings and covers for boats and motor boats. Out of respect for biblical morality, Andrey and Yekaterina decided to legalize their marriage, and in December 2006 they got married. The spouses are raising a schoolgirl daughter. Their common family hobby is fishing.

When they came to Andrey’s apartment with a search, the family experienced a tremendous shock. Yekaterina had to seek help from a specialist and undergo treatment for several months. Andrey is also very worried about how what is happening will affect the health of his parents - his father has a bad heart.

Andrey's brother, Yekaterina’s relatives and friends of the family are shocked that this peace-loving man was sentenced to 4 years of probation only for talking about the Bible and consider this attitude towards believers unfair.

Case History

In May 2019, security forces searched the home and car of Rostov resident Andrey Okhrimchuk in the presence of his 11-year-old daughter. After that, the believer was taken for interrogation to the Center for Countering Extremism. Investigator I. A. Kalnitsky accused him of participating in the activities of a banned organization and its financing. Andrey was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring and placed on recognizance not to leave. In February 2021, the Okhrimchuk case was submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don and was appointed to judge Olga Borokhova. In August 2021, she sentenced Andriy Okhrimchuk to 4 years of probation, which is exactly the term requested by the prosecutor for the believer. After 2 months, the Rostov Regional Court approved the conviction. After 4 months, the Court of Cassation in Krasnodar dismissed the believer’s complaint.