Updated: March 28, 2024
Name: Omelchenko Vitaliy Nikolayevich
Date of Birth: November 19, 1979
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility
Sentence: penalty in the form of a fine in the amount of 580,000 rubles

Biography

Vitaliy Omelchenko is a peaceful believer who was accused of extremism only because of his belief in Jehovah God.

Vitaliy was born in 1979 in the village of Roslyakovo (Murmansk region), where his family settled because of his father's work—he was a soldier in the border troops that were part of the KGB. Vitaliy has a younger sister.

As a child, Vitaliy went in for judo, kickboxing, biathlon and ballroom dancing, loved skiing and skating, and sang in the choir. Graduated with honors from shorthand courses.

Vitaliy helped his parents in the family business, working as a salesman until he was drafted into the army for two years. Upon his return, he worked in the field of printing and cleaning.

In 2001, Vitaliy firmly decided to lead a Christian lifestyle, having learned about God's commandments and seeing the benefits of applying them to other Christians.

In 2013, Vitaliy married Nataliya, who shared his views on life. Unfortunately, just a year later she became seriously ill, and she was assigned a III disability group. The couple enjoy spending time outdoors with friends and playing board games. Nataliya has two adult daughters.

The criminal prosecution affected the life of the whole family. Due to the stress, Natalia began to experience sleep problems. Vitaly's mother and sister are outraged by what is happening, as they do not understand why they are persecuting this peace-loving man.

Case History

At the end of December 2019, law enforcement officers in Murmansk raided the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Vitaliy Omelchenko for organizing the activities of an extremist organization merely because he said prayers and conducted worship services. A month later, the security forces detained the believer near his house and sent him to a temporary detention center; two days later the court released him but imposed a ban on certain actions. In early 2021, the case went to court. The prosecution appointed as experts Tarasov, Kotelnikov and Kryukova, who are known for their prejudiced attitude towards Jehovah’s Witnesses. In September 2022, the prosecutor requested six years in a general regime penal colony for the believer, but the court sentenced him to a fine of 580,000 rubles. The appellate court upheld that verdict.