Name: Katamov Oleg Viktorovich
Date of Birth: January 3, 1962
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 15 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: detention center
Sentence: imprisonment for a period of 6 years with serving in a general regime penal colony, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the placement of appeals and other materials in public information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet, for a period of 3 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year
Currently held in: Detention Center No.1 for Tver Region
Address for correspondence: Katamov Oleg Viktorovich, born 1962, Detention Center No.1 for Tver Region, Ul. Vagzhanova, 141, Tver, Tver Region, 170010

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the «FSIN-letter system». To pay for service with the card of a foreign bank use Prisonmail.

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

Biography

Oleg Katamov from Konakovo peacefully professed his religion for many years, not suspecting that one day he would become a defendant in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God. The events provoked the development of cancer in his wife. In March 2025, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in prison. A few hours later, Larisa Katamova suddenly became ill, she was urgently hospitalized and connected to a life support device. However, this did not help, and she passed away at the age of 61.

Oleg was born in January 1962 in the city of Konakovo (Tver region). His parents are no longer alive. As a child, Oleg loved to fish, pick mushrooms and berries. After school, he studied as a construction technician. For many years he worked as a stamper at a factory. Recently, he has been cleaning the courtyard area.

In 1985, Oleg married Larisa, a music teacher. After 5 years, they became interested in Bible teachings together. They were impressed by the fulfillment of the prophecies described in this ancient book and touched that Christians have the opportunity to turn to God in prayer and learn about him from the Holy Scriptures. In 1991, they decided to take the Christian path.

In his free time, Oleg likes to write poetry on spiritual topics and, as in childhood, go picking mushrooms and berries, and Larisa loved to sing and make flowers from foamiran. Oleg has a daughter, Aleksandr, who shares his views on life. She works as a manicure master, knows several languages, loves to cook.

Speaking in court, Oleg Katamov said: "I have always been supported by my dear wife Larisa . . . I have never had any enmity or even just hostility towards anyone . . . Faith in a God of love doesn't give me room to just think about something that even remotely resembles extremism!"

Case History

In July 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the cities of Konakovo and Ivanovo. Aleksandr Shchetinin, Sergey Naumenko, Oleg Katamov, Aleksey Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Starikov, who had a seriously ill elderly father in his care, were subjected to criminal prosecution. The case against the believers was initiated by the local FSB department. They were charged with “organizing the activity of an extremist organization” for discussing Christian teachings with residents of Konakovo district. The believers were included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. In October 2023, the case went to court. In February 2025, the sentence was announced: 6 years in a general regime colony for Starikov, Katamov, Kuznetsov and Shchetinin. The case against Naumenko was separated into a separate proceeding and suspended. Soon, Katamov’s wife, who was fighting cancer, died in the hospital.
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