Dolzhikov Dmitriy

Name: Dolzhikov Dmitriy Nikolayevich
Date of Birth: June 30, 1978
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 76 day in a pre-trial detention, 218 day Under house arrest, 383 day forced labor
Current restrictions: forced labor
Sentence: punishment in the form of 3 years of imprisonment with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year with serving a sentence in a general regime colony, the imposed sentence in the form of imprisonment shall be replaced by a punishment in the form of forced labor for a term of 3 years
Currently held in: Сorrectional center at a Penal Colony No. 9 for Novosibirsk Region
Address for correspondence: Dolzhikov Dmitriy Nikolayevich, born 1978, Сorrectional center at a Penal Colony No. 9 for Novosibirsk Region, Ul. 1-aya Yurginskaya, 37a, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Region, 630051

Biography

Dmitry Dolzhikov, a civilian resident of Chelyabinsk, learned that a criminal case had been opened against him for his faith when he was searched in September 2022. The man was detained, taken 1500 kilometers to Novosibirsk and placed in a pre-trial detention center.

Dmitry was born in 1978 in the village of Kamyshevka (Rostov Region). He has two younger brothers. Their father is a truck driver and their mother is retired.

As a child, Dmitry was fond of football, and in his youth he learned to play the guitar. After school, Dmitry graduated from the railway technical school, where he received the specialty of an assistant driver. He is actively involved in sports, and in his free time he draws and still plays the guitar. In addition, Dmitry loves to be in nature, to observe animals, especially spiders.

Dmitry lived in Azov, Tver, Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk. He worked in a furniture factory, repaired and sewed shoes, was engaged in construction work and the production of window and door metal structures.

In Dmitry's family, his mother was the first to study the Bible, and he himself watched with interest how it changed her character for the better. This prompted Dmitriy to also begin to study the Holy Scriptures. After only three months, he lost the desire to use profanity. Dmitry decided to become a Christian in 1997.

In 2008, Dmitry married Marina, an architect-designer by profession. She shares her husband's religious views. Marina is fond of drawing. Together, the Dolzhikovs love to spend time in nature, watch films about animals, sing songs.

When Dmitry was thrown behind bars, the life of the Dolzhikov spouses changed dramatically. Marina had problems with sleep, a feeling of anxiety. A positive attitude and the support of friends help her cope with what is happening.

Dmitriy's parents are worried about the situation with believers in Russia. They wonder why the authorities can persecute a man who loves people and life so much.

Case History

In May 2020, Dmitriy Dolzhikov became one of the defendants in a criminal case for his faith, which was initiated by the Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region. When the believer moved to another region, his case was made into a separate proceeding. His new place of residence was searched in September 2022. Dolzhikov was interrogated and then taken back to Novosibirsk, where he was placed in a pretrial detention center for 2.5 months. The believer was under house arrest from November 2022. The court began hearing his case in December of the same year. The case involved the testimony of a secret witness and two Orthodox activists-“anti-sectarians”, and many of the materials in the case did not relate to Dolzhikov, but other believers. In June 2023, the court sentenced Dmitriy to 3 years in a penal colony and 1 year restriction of freedom, which was replaced with forced labor. In September 2023, the court of appeal upheld this decision. Since November, Dmitriy has been in the correctional center at IK-9 in Novosibirsk, where he was assigned to work as a shoemaker at a city enterprise.
Timeline
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