Yakovlev Yuriy

Updated: May 3, 2024
Name: Yakovlev Yuriy Aleksandrovich
Date of Birth: June 15, 1966
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 765 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: Detention center
Sentence: punishment in the form of 6 years 2 months of imprisonment with serving in a penal colony of general regime, with deprivation of the right to engage in organizational activities in public or religious associations, public or religious organizations for a term of 2 years, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year
Currently held in: Detention Center No. 3 in Krasnoyarsk Territory
Address for correspondence: Yakovlev Yuriy Aleksandrovich, born 1966, SIZO No. 3 in Krasnoyarsk Territory, ul. Slobodchikova, 2, g. Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia, 662165

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the «zonatelecom».

Note: discussing topics related to criminal prosecution is not allowed in letters; languages other than Russian will not pass.

Biography

In March 2022, Yuriy Yakovlev, who is known as a kind and sympathetic person, was accused of extremism. Friends and relatives of the believer are discouraged and sure that extremism and Yuriy's lifestyle are incompatible concepts.

Yuriy was born in June 1966 in the city of Sarapul (Udmurtia). He has an elder brother and a younger sister. Their mother was a road worker, and she was often sent on long business trips, so the family had a chance to live in different cities of the USSR. For several years they settled in Kyrgyzstan, Yuriy remembers this time with warmth. During his school years, he liked to go camping with his classmates. The man has not lost this hobby over the years and travels with friends across the Siberian expanses with pleasure.

After the army, Yuriy went to visit friends in Vladivostok and decided to stay there. To support himself, he began to go to sea. He was fascinated by the beauty and power of the sea. After 15 years, Yuriy moved to Siberia, to the small town of Sosnovoborsk. There he mastered a new specialty and began working as a minced meat compiler. Yuriy likes to cook for himself, his family and friends. He also loves animals: he has two cats.

Yuriy has been familiar with biblical truths since childhood. His mother tried to instill in all her children the love of God. However, at that time the young man had other interests. Having matured, he, like many others, began to think about the meaning of life. In 2009, already living in Sosnovoborsk, Yuri began to seriously study the Bible and soon decided to devote his life to serving God.

Recently, Yuriy's mother, who is already over 80, has serious health problems. To take care of her, he moved her to his place. After the search and arrest of her son, the condition of the elderly woman deteriorated sharply.

Case History

In March 2022, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Yuriy Yakovlev, a resident of Sosnovoborsk. The next day, they came to the believer with a search, and then placed him in a pre-trial detention center. The accusation was based on hidden audio recordings of worship services and conversations with friends on biblical topics. The investigation considered such actions as “determining the time of meetings through online broadcasts”, “pastoral work” and “directing preaching activities” to be organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The investigation lasted 71 days. In June 2022, the case went to court. Although during the trial it was only proved that Yakovlev is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in March 2023 the believer was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison.
Timeline