Voykov Sergey

Name: Voykov Sergey Aleksandrovich
Date of Birth: August 28, 1975
Current status: suspect
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility

Biography

On February 7, 2018, in Belgorod, law enforcement agencies conducted searches in the homes of at least 17 civilians, dozens of people were detained and interrogated. Several criminal cases were initiated, including against Sergey Voikov. What is known about him?

Sergey Voikov was born in Yakutsk. As a child, he was actively engaged in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, won prizes at all-Union tournaments, was a repeated champion of Yakutsk. However, due to illness, he was forced to leave the sport. At the age of 16, he fell under a bad influence, spent some time in prison on charges of theft.

In the meantime, his family became acquainted with the Bible, and he found in it convincing answers to his questions about the meaning of life. His newfound faith helped Sergey break with the underworld and become an honest member of society. In 2001, Sergey was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sergey has two specialties: a car mechanic and a welder. Since 1994 he has been living in Belgorod. In 2011, Sergey married Natalia. He still enjoys sports, especially volleyball, which he regularly plays with friends.

Criminal prosecution for faith causes extreme bewilderment among everyone who knows Sergey. Even Sergey and Natalia's relatives, who do not share their religious views, now defend them in front of acquaintances, and Sergey's grandmother began to pray to Jehovah, asking him to restore justice.

Case History

In February 2018, police officers, the Interior Ministry Investigative Department, and armed SOBR fighters raided at least 16 homes of local Jehovah’s Witnesses in Belgorod. Peaceful believers were subjected to rough verbal and physical treatment. Dozens of people, including a group of people with hearing disabilities, were forcibly taken to the police for questioning. The last of the interrogated was released only the next morning. Two believers, Anatoliy Chaliapin and Sergey Voikov, were detained for two days and then released on their own recognizance. They are accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization, as the investigation interprets the participation of men in the services of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The criminal case was handled by an investigation team consisting of 12 employees of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Belgorod Region. In August 2019, the investigation of the case was suspended, but a month later the prosecutor’s office overturned this decision, and the case was sent for additional investigation.
Timeline
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