Name: Novoselov Sergey Anatoliyevich
Date of Birth: March 10, 1968
Current status: accused
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 352 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: prohibition of certain actions

Biography

In 2023, Sergey Novoselov and his wife, Natalya, were preparing to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Instead, Sergey ended up in a pre-trial detention center due to accusations of extremism.

Sergey was born in March 1968. He has an older brother. They spent their childhood in the city of Artyom, Primorye Territory, where their parents worked at the Artyomovskaya State District Power Plant.

Sergey became interested in electronics at an early age—he loved to solder and to assemble electrical and radio devices. Over time, the hobby turned into a profession. As a young man, he graduated from the Far Eastern Polytechnic Institute. He worked as an electrician, a repairman of electrical equipment and electronics. Sergey likes to help his friends by repairing their household appliances.

While studying at the institute, Sergey began to examine the Bible. After examining the arguments for creation, he found them convincing. During his internship in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), the young man attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and he was impressed by the way they treated one another. In 1990, Sergey decided to start his journey as a Christian.

Shortly thereafter, Sergey met Natalya, who shared his beliefs. She recalls that while studying the Bible, she was particularly moved by the teaching that people could live forever in a paradise on earth. In 1993, Sergey and Natalya got married. The couple have an adult son, who works as a cook. Before Sergey's arrest, the family loved taking trips to enjoy nature, especially to the sea.

Natalya and her son are concerned about their beloved husband and father, who has been subjected to criminal prosecution. Sergey's mother, who does not share his beliefs, also supports her son.

Case History

After a series of searches in Vladivostok in March 2023, three Jehovah’s Witnesses were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Two days later, Yegor Pogrebnyak was released under house arrest, and Yuriy Byche and Sergey Novoselov were sent to a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case was initiated against the believers under an article for extremism. Later that month, Tatyana Kazakova, Marina Roslova, Alina Tkachenko, Anastasiya Dyldina and Yelena Romanova became defendants in the case. And in December, after new searches, Kirill Chekolaev was arrested and placed in a pretrial detention center. He spent about 5 months in detention, and Novoselov and Byche almost a year. All three were released under a ban on certain actions.
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