Biography
Aleksey Shubnikov is severely disabled and has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of 16. However, this did not prevent law enforcement officers from suspecting him of extremism and initiating a criminal case.
Aleksey was born in June 1982 in Nizhnevartovsk, Tyumen Region. He has a younger brother and sister. For some time, the family lived in the city of Langepas (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra) and in the early 2000s they moved to the Krasnodar Territory and settled in Vyselki.
Aleksey was an active child. He loved skiing, went to a wood carving club, often went outdoors with his parents, went fishing and picking berries and mushrooms in the forest. The family spent the whole summer at the datcha. But then a tragedy happened: the young man fell from a tree and seriously injured his spine. This affected the rest of his life. Yet, despite his physical limitations, he qualified as an accountant. Being in receipt of disability allowance, Aleksey does not work. He lives with his parents and still loves fishing, being outdoors and discovering new places.
In the mid-2000s, Aleksey started to learn about Bible teachings. He recalls: "I was always troubled by the questions: what happens when someone dies? Will we ever see our dead loved ones again? When I learned that soon everyone would be healthy, that I would be able to run again, it touched my heart. Before, I didn't even hope to walk again, I thought that my life was over and had no purpose. Aleksey was impressed by the logical and simple answers from the Bible to his questions and he was also moved by the friendliness and attention paid to him by other Christians. In 2008, Aleksey got baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The criminal prosecution made life more difficult for Aleksey. He says: "During the first days after the search, I was constantly tense, I had trouble sleeping and lost my appetite. After a while, I calmed down and felt inner peace. But still, every call at the door or on the phone caused anxiety. Due to the restrictions imposed by the court, the already difficult life of Aleksey became even harder.
Aleksey's relatives are worried about him. His father's health has deteriorated; his mother worries about the future of her son.