Biography
More than 20 criminal cases for faith were opened in Birobidzhan. Among those accused of extremism were Konstantin Guzev and his wife Anastasiya. The investigation lasted about 5 months, then the case was considered in court for over a year. In February 2021, a believer was given a suspended sentence of two and a half years on the basis of secret video footage of worship services and testimony from a police officer depicting an interest in the Bible.
Konstantin Guzev was born in 1964 in Khabarovsk. He has two sisters. In his youth, he was fond of active sports and drawing. After school, he received the specialties of an electrician and a gas welder, and later mastered many skills in the field of construction and repair. Recently, Konstantin was a worker at a music school, and his wife Anastasiya worked there as a cleaner.
Konstantin grew up in an unfavorable environment - his father often drank and beat his mother. In the end, the family fell apart. Konstantin often had questions about the meaning of life and did not find answers to them. He lived recklessly, trying to find solace in alcohol and drugs.
Studying the Bible helped Konstantin get answers to all his questions, abandon a destructive lifestyle and create a happy marriage. However, due to the 2017 Supreme Court decision, the family faced discrimination on religious grounds - both spouses were forced to resign, arguing that there was no place for “extremists” in a children's institution.
Because of the recognizance not to leave, Konstantin could not normally communicate with his relatives, since they all live in Khabarovsk. Although his relatives and friends do not share his religious beliefs, they wonder how such sentences can be passed on peaceful people just for believing in Jehovah God.