Name: Skudaev Sergey Vladimirovich
Date of Birth: June 8, 1978
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 127 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: prohibition of certain actions

Biography

In mid-July 2021, searches were carried out in Sergey Skudaev's apartment and country house, after which he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case was opened against the man for believing in Jehovah God.

Sergey was born in 1978 in Kurgan. He has an elder sister. Their father worked as an installer for a construction company, and their mother worked as a rabbit breeder at a local enterprise.

As a child, Sergey was engaged in sambo. After school, he acquired the profession of an electric and gas welder, and then a commodity expert, receiving a secondary specialized education. For some time, Sergey was engaged in welding work, worked as a driver, then as a manager in the trade sector, and also held the position of head of the sales department.

Since childhood, Sergey was eager to learn more about God. He prayed to him as best he could. In the 1990s, his mother began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. Sergey was impressed by their behavior and appearance. A few years later, he tracked down Jehovah's Witnesses and asked for a Bible study. After learning about God and his plan for people, the young man decided to become a Christian.

In March 2007, Sergey married Irina. By profession, she is a master of construction and installation work. Like her husband, she loves God and values the Bible. Irina's hobby is growing indoor and garden flowers. The couple love to go to the bathhouse, ride bicycles in the summer and ski in the winter. Sergey has an adult daughter from his first marriage.

After the search and arrest of Sergey, his wife felt anxious for a long time, and she had to take medication to maintain her health. The relatives of the spouses respect Sergey's beliefs and are disappointed at the unfair treatment of him by law enforcement agencies. His employer was sympathetic to what was happening and did not fire him.

Case History

In July 2021, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Sergey Skudaev from Kurgan, he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, the believer’s guilt is that he conducted worship services using video conferencing. The security forces searched the apartment, garage and dacha of the Skudaevs. Wedding cards and personal records were seized from them. The believer was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pre-trial detention center. There he had covid without receiving proper treatment. After 4 months, Sergey was released home under a ban on certain actions. In June 2023, the case went to court.
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