Aleksandr Davydenko in the cage for defendants on the day of the verdict. February 2025.

Aleksandr Davydenko in the cage for defendants on the day of the verdict. February 2025.

Aleksandr Davydenko in the cage for defendants on the day of the verdict. February 2025.

Unjust Verdicts

Court in Kuban Sentences One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Sending Him to a Penal Colony for His Faith in God

Krasnodar Territory

On February 25, 2025, Judge Lev Bogdanov ruled in the case of Aleksandr Davydenko, 32, resident of the village of Pavlovskaya — 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony for talking about the Bible.

Aleksandr faced prosecution for his faith in 2020 after the same happened to his aunt, Lyudmila Shchekoldina. In April 2023, the local FSB Directorate charged Davydenko with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. After several months the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center.

Davydenko's case has been under consideration in the Pavlovskiy District Court since June 2024. The believer was charged with discussing the Bible with a resident of the village, Valeriy Ilchenko, who recorded those conversations and handed them over to the FSB. Davydenko commented on these conversations as follows: "Ilchenko had questions, which [we] answered reasoning on the Holy Scriptures. When we met, Valeriy felt calm, and we had pleasant conversations." In court, the informant admitted that he had never heard any aggressive statements from Davydenko, and also did not feel any pressure to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Ilchenko's recordings of conversations on spiritual topics became the basis for the conviction of three more believers — Lyudmila Shchekoldina, Vladimir Skachidub and Maksim Beltikov, all of whom also received terms in penal colonies.

The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya

Case History
In the spring of 2020, Aleksandr Davydenko from the village of Pavlovskaya came to the attention of law enforcement officers. He was suspected of extremism. His home and the home of his aunt Lyudmila Shchekoldina were searched, after which he was interrogated in the FSB building as a witness. Three years later, in April 2023, a criminal case was initiated against the believer under articles on participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. In September 2023, Aleksandr was detained and sent to a pretrial detention center. His case went to court 9 months later. The proceedings were based on the testimony of an undercover agent, Ilchenko, who handed over recordings of conversations with Davydenko about God to the FSB. In January 2025, the court found Davydenko guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony.
Timeline

Persons in case

Davydenko
Aleksandr

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Pavlovskaya
Suspected of:
"Held... a religious educational event — a lesson in the study of the "Holy Scriptures" (the Bible)... disseminated the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses" (from the indictment)
Court case number:
12302030030000027
Initiated:
April 10, 2024
Current case stage:
verdict did not take effect
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-139/2024
Court of First Instance:
Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Lev Bogdanov
Case History
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