Zhukov Timofey

Name: Zhukov Timofey Viktorovich
Date of Birth: May 19, 1979
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Time spent in prison: 59 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: suspended sentence
Sentence: punishment in the form of 7 years of imprisonment, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public organizations for a period of 3 years, with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year, punishment in the form of imprisonment shall be considered suspended with a probationary period of 4 years

Biography

On February 15, 2019, one of the largest and most brutal operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Seven people were tortured, three were sent to a pre-trial detention center (two of them spent 56 days behind bars), and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Timofey Zhukov. What is known about him?

Timofey was born in 1979 in the city of Revda (Sverdlovsk region). When the boy was three years old, due to a difficult situation in the family, his mother was forced to take her son and move to Surgut. Timothy is the eldest of four brothers in the family. As a child, he was fond of chess, choreography, dance plasticity, as well as martial arts.

Timofey graduated with a degree in jurisprudence, then, after graduating from graduate school, he worked as an assistant prosecutor in the Surgut City Prosecutor's Office and as a leading legal adviser in some large institutions of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. In 2003, he married Natalia, who also works in the field of jurisprudence. In his spare time, he likes to play football, volleyball, skiing and traveling.

Timothy always respected Scripture and wanted to live as Jesus Christ taught. When he was 28 years old, he consciously embarked on the path of a Christian. A few years later, he was joined in this by his wife, who was deeply touched by the love and unity that reigns among their fellow believers.

Timofey's mother is shocked by what is happening and claims that the persecution of her son is a ridiculous mistake of law enforcement agencies. My wife's sister is perplexed by what is happening and is very surprised that in our time you can be behind bars because of your faith.

Case History

In February 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against 18 men and 1 woman from Surgut (among them was a person mistaken for one of Jehovah's Witnesses). Their homes were searched. During the interrogations, 7 believers were subjected to violence. Artur Severinchik was sent to a pretrial detention center for 29 days, while Yevgeniy Fedin and Sergey Loginov — for 56 days. Timofey Zhukov was unlawfully placed in a psychiatric hospital for 14 days. The believers filed complaints about the use of torture with the Investigative Committee, the ECHR and the Human Rights Ombudsman; a press conference was held with the participation of human rights activists, but none of the law enforcement officers was brought to justice. In October 2021, materials of the case (which was put into separate proceeding in 2020) went to court. Two years later, the court gave all of the believers suspended sentences ranging from 4 to 7 years. In February 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision.
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