Name: Ushakov Vitaliy Sergeyevich
Date of Birth: July 19, 1980
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 205 day in a pre-trial detention, 32 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: prohibition of certain actions

Biography

Vitaly Ushakov grew up without a father. Faith in Jehovah God helped him fill this void in life. Now, for his cherished beliefs, Vitaliy may end up behind bars for up to 10 years.

Vitaliy was born in July 1980 in the village of Khatukai (Adygea). He has a brother and sister. As a child, Vitaliy was fond of playing the button accordion.

The hardworking young man went to work right after school - at first he was engaged in interior decoration, roofing work, and more recently - car repair.

Vitaly's mother was the first in the family to study the Bible. Her son liked the biblical promise that people would live happily in the future.

Already being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vitaly defended a peace-loving Christian position and unwillingness to take up arms. Since there was no law on alternative civilian service at that time, he was threatened with criminal prosecution. As a result, he was released from the draft for health reasons.

In 2006, Vitaliy married Irina, who raised her son alone. A year later, they had another boy. Irina shares her husband's views on life. She enjoys confectionery and gardening, and her youngest son plays the guitar.

The criminal prosecution of Vitaliy poses a threat to Irina's poor health: she is registered at the cancer center. Despite the difficult circumstances, she maintains a positive attitude and feels good. Relatives and friends support the Ushakovs in every possible way. They do not understand why they are persecuting Vitaliy.

Case History

In February 2022, more than 30 searches took place in the Kuban. Five believers from the village of Vyselki — Vitaliy Ushakov, Yevgeny Bochko, Valery Vechkaev, pensioner Vladimir Kolesnikov and disabled person of group I Alexei Shubnikov, confined to a wheelchair from his youth — became defendants in a criminal case. The Investigative Committee accused the believers of organizing the activities of an extremist community. In reality, the believers participated in peaceful worship services that were not prohibited by law. Ushakov was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost 7 months, after which he was placed under house arrest for 1 month, and then under a ban on certain actions. Bochko, Vechkayev, Kolesnikov and Shubnikov were banned from certain actions. In June 2023, the case went to the district court.