Name: Shchetinin Aleksandr Viktorovich
Date of Birth: August 13, 1989
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Current restrictions: obligation to appear

Biography

Alexander Shchetinin, an engineer by education, has been interested in natural sciences since childhood. Over time, he came to believe that all living things were created and decided to live by Christian standards. In June 2021, a criminal case was opened against the man, accusing him of extremism because of his religious views.

Aleksandr was born in August 1989 in Podolsk, Moscow Region. He has an older sister. Alexander's father is an economist, his mother is an electronic engineer. As a child, Alexander was fond of drawing, studied English, and was interested in exploring the world around him.

Alexander's mother had been studying the Bible since the early 1990s. Later, studying it on his own, Alexander was impressed by how positive the impact of high moral standards is on people's lives. He liked that those who study the Scriptures become better—kinder, more sympathetic. This prompted Alexander in 2007 to embark on the Christian path.

After studying at the Moscow Agricultural Academy with a degree in landscape gardening, Alexander was called up for military service, instead of which he underwent alternative civilian service, guided by peace-loving views. He worked as an orderly in a psychiatric hospital in the city of Dubna (Moscow region). Later, Alexander worked as a driver, then as a freight forwarder. Now he is a dispatcher in a small private company.

Alexander has many friends, he often spends time with them, loves active games, sports, as well as hiking in nature.

The criminal prosecution disrupted Aleksandr's usual way of life: investigative measures require long-distance travel, and he often has to take time off from work. Relatives are worried about what happened. Relatives who do not share the religious views of the believer are outraged by the persecution of this peace-loving and decent person.

Case History

In July 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the cities of Konakovo and Ivanovo. Aleksandr Shchetinin, Sergey Naumenko, Oleg Katamov, Aleksey Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Starikov, who takes care of his seriously ill elderly father, were prosecuted. The case against the believers was initiated by the FSB. All five men were charged with “organizing the activity of an extremist organization” simply for reading the Bible and discussing Christian teachings with residents of the Konakovo district. The believers were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list — their access to personal accounts was blocked. In October 2023, the case went to court.
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