Updated: March 28, 2024
Name: Pankratov Stepan Viktorovich
Date of Birth: December 29, 1995
Current status: Defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 66 day in a pre-trial detention, 74 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: Prohibition of certain actions

Biography

On July 13, 2020 law enforcement agencies of the Voronezh region conducted the largest raid against Jehovah's Witnesses. 24-year-old Stepan Pankratov was among the victims of the actions of operatives. After the search, he was sent to a detention center.

Stepan was born in 1995 in Voronezh in a large family. He has a sister and three brothers. Stepan is the youngest of the children. Since childhood, he has been actively involved in various sports such as volleyball, basketball and tennis.

From a young age, when he was in high school, Stepan started working as a part-time employee. He mastered the profession of plastering and tiling. Due to his peaceful convictions, Stepan was doing an alternative civil service. He worked as an attendant in a psychoneurological dispensary.He remained in warm friendship with all his colleagues. They still remember Stepan with warm words.

From early childhood, Stepan heard about God from his parents; the knowledge he received prompted him to make a serious independent decision in the future - to live as a Christian.

His future wife, Daria, Stepan met in his hometown. Daria is a design engineer by profession. The spouses love to play sports together, spend time with friends and relatives.

Criminal prosecution has completely changed the way this family lives. Daria has a difficult time, because Stepan was the main breadwinner in their family.

Family and friends are in complete perplexity because of religious persecution of a peaceful and honest man and consider the arrest of Stepan unfair.

Case History

In one day, July 13, 2020, 110 searches were carried out in 7 settlements of the Voronezh Region — a record-breaking operation against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. Five believers reported torture by the security forces. Ten men aged 24 to 56 years were charged by the Investigative Committee with organizing extremist activities and sent them to prison, where most of them were held for almost 5 months. The events in Voronezh caused a wide public outcry: the EU countries, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States, expressed regret and bewilderment in connection with the incident. The believers themselves do not admit guilt in extremism and emphasize that, as Christians, they respect the authorities and peacefully practice their religion in accordance with constitutional law. Consideration of the case in court began in December 2021. Believers face up to 10 years in prison.