Zinich Yevgeniy

Name: Zinich Yevgeniy Nikolayevich
Date of Birth: April 17, 1966
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 207 day in a pre-trial detention, 705 day in prison
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 6 years with serving a sentence of imprisonment in a correctional colony of general regime, with deprivation of the right to engage in organizational activities in public associations and religious organizations for a term of 2 years, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year
Currently held in: Penal Colony No.11 for Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
Address for correspondence: Zinich Yevgeniy Nikolayevich, born 1966, Penal Colony No.11 for Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, ul. Trudovaya, Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area - Yugra, 628422

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the «zonatelecom».

Parcels and parcels should not be sent because of the limit on their number per year.

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

Biography

The life of Yevgeny Zinich's parents from Krasnoyarsk was not easy: in 1951, Yevgeny's mother and her parents were exiled to Khakassia as part of Operation North, and his father was sentenced to 10 years for transporting religious literature, but 2 years later, after Stalin's death, he was released. Many years later, history repeats itself - for their faith in Jehovah God, their son is persecuted.

Yevgeny was born in April 1966 in the city of Nazarovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He has an older brother and a younger sister. My father worked as a coppersmith in an auto repair shop, passed away in 1986. His mother worked as a seamstress in a factory. As a child, Yevgeniy was fond of playing chess, attended a radio circle, loved to read, often and for a long time talked with classmates and teachers on the topic of religion. These conversations helped him to better understand Bible teachings and to ensure that his parents' religion had a solid Bible foundation. In 1982 he made the decision to become a Christian.

Due to his peaceful convictions, Yevgeniy could not attend the lessons of basic military training and for this reason was forced to leave his studies in the ninth grade. For secondary education, he graduated from an evening school in Krasnoyarsk, where he moved in 1984. Then Yevgeniy took courses on the repair of commercial equipment, worked as a cash register repairman, and also received the profession of a fitter for the installation, repair and maintenance of industrial ventilation. Since 1989 he worked as a plumber, a home appliance repairman, and then a technical director in a commercial firm. In 1998 he opened his own business. In his free time, Yevgeniy goes in for walking and swimming, reads a lot, including books on history, business, psychology and medicine.

In 1986, Yevgeniy met Maria from the city of Zima (Irkutsk region). Her family also suffered from the Stalinist repression and was exiled to Siberia for their faith. After 2 years, Yevgeniy and Maria got married and moved to Krasnoyarsk, where their daughter was born. Unfortunately, Maria, a disabled person of group II, died of a serious illness during the criminal prosecution.

Yevgeniy and his relatives could not imagine that after so many years they would have to remember the events of 1951 and go through what his parents faced at that time. The criminal prosecution for his faith seriously affected Yevgeniy's health: he had to seek medical help due to high blood pressure. Yevgeny's relatives and friends are worried about him and are deeply experiencing the unfair oppression of a believer.

Case History

In December 2020, the apartment of peaceful entrepreneur Yevgeniy Zinich and his wife, who is disabled, was searched. The security forces seized electronic devices, personal records and a Bible in Ukrainian. In January 2021, an investigator of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Yevgeniy, accusing him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. This was based on the testimony of a secret witness and recordings of telephone and personal conversations of the believer. In November 2021, the case was submitted to the district court. During the criminal prosecution, the believer’s wife died from a serious illness. In June 2022, the court found Evgeny guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony, as requested by the prosecutor. The court of appeal upheld this decision.
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