Relatives with the smell of prison: in Russia, whole families are judged for their beliefs

Among the hundreds of respectable citizens against whom criminal cases have been unjustly initiated, there are entire families - married couples, parents and children. Below are a few examples of how false accusations separate loved ones, breaking their destinies.

"In prison, he sings songs instead of radio"

In July 2018, security forces with machine guns at the ready broke into the apartment of the spouses Vladimir and Tatyana Alushkin in the Penza region and searched it. Vladimir was arrested. He spent 3 days in a temporary detention facility, 181 days in a pre-trial detention center and 333 days under house arrest. For almost a year and a half, he was physically unable to take care of his family.

On December 13, 2019, the court sentenced both spouses: he was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and she was given a 2-year suspended sentence. Vladimir was taken into custody in the courtroom. Separation again, now for years.

Tatyana, despite the harsh realities, does not lose heart and actively supports those who find themselves in a similar situation.

"I was on a date," she says. - Volodya has already received some e-mails (we are talking about letters that are sent to Vladimir Alushkin in prison). Thank you all so much! He prays for everyone. He sits alone. The sound of the radio has the ability to remove itself, instead of it sings our songs. Calm and joyful."

Life in a pre-trial detention center is under attack

Husband and wife from the Kursk region Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan have been in jail since October 16, 2019. In the dungeons of the detention center, Alevtina immediately caught a cold. Artem's health problems have reached a critical level. According to the lawyer, there is a threat to life.

"In the pre-trial detention center, Artem is not allowed to take the medicines he was taking before his arrest. In the isolation ward, he is given analogues that are ineffective. They also do not provide a special diet," his lawyer said.

In addition, the criminal prosecution deprived the spouses of their livelihood. Alevtina's mother needs constant help. The woman is very worried about her daughter and son-in-law.

"I felt my husband smell like prison"

Dmitriy and Elena Barmakin, a family from Primorsky Krai, also had to face the hardships of persecution for their faith. Dmitriy spent 447 days in the pre-trial detention center, some of them in solitary confinement in a damp basement.

About two months after Dmitry's arrest, Rosfinmonitoring blocked Yelena's bank cards. She could not get a permanent job because of the criminal proceedings - she could be summoned to court or for interrogation at any time. Moreover, a criminal case was initiated against Elena herself.

After Dmitry was transferred to house arrest, the couple are together again. It is possible that temporarily, since the courts on the merits are ahead.

Here's how Elena describes the first hours after separation:

"I just didn't expect such a result! For a year and two months, I got used to the fact that he was constantly left in custody ... And when Dima was released right in the courtroom, it was, of course, a shock! I didn't even know how to rejoice... My girlfriends immediately began to cry, and I just froze with surprise. Complete prostration! And when we came to the apartment, I felt the smell of prison from my husband for some time.

Dmitry admits that the imprisonment greatly influenced him. "A lot has happened in the 15 months that I spent in jail," he says. "The long separation has changed us, and now we have to get to know each other again."

"I'm afraid to be at home alone"

Georgy and Elena Nikulin live in Mordovia. After his arrest, the head of the family spent 147 days in a pre-trial detention center. A specialist with 9 professions, just like his wife, cannot get a job today due to criminal prosecution. The family does not have enough money for food and basic household items. Persecution for his faith undermined George's physical health. The arrest and interrogation by the FSB caused deep psychological trauma to Yelena. "Now I'm afraid to be at home alone," she admits.

Early in the morning, masked men broke into the apartment of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov in the Omsk region, knocking out the front door. Sergei was beaten and then taken away. Anastasia was also arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center, where she spent 154 days. Anastasia became the first woman in recent history to be imprisoned only for her religious beliefs.

The two spouses then spent another 91 days under house arrest. Now Sergey and Anatasiya are under recognizance not to leave.

Alexander and Galina Parkov from the Rostov region have been separated for more than six months - Alexander is in a pre-trial detention center. Criminal cases have been initiated against both. Galina, who is still free, had to quit her job, her bank card, to which her salary was transferred, was blocked. A woman is interrupted by odd jobs in order to support herself and support her husband.

The persecution of the couple had a negative impact on other family members as well. Due to stress and worries, Alexander's pregnant daughter began to have health complications.

Valeria and Sergey Rayman from the Kostroma region are the youngest couple who face 10 years in prison, despite the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor's office.

Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev became hostages of criminal cases in the Magadan region. In Taganrog, Oksana is waiting for sick parents who have no one to take care of. But she is under recognizance not to leave. Due to a similar measure of restraint, Mikhail is constrained in the ability to work and provide for his family.

"I became afraid of every knock on the door"

Venera and Daria Dulov faced persecution for their beliefs in the Sverdlovsk region. Venera is hearing impaired, and her daughter Daria is the youngest "prisoner of conscience" - a student. After searches conducted by law enforcement officers in the apartment and at the family's dacha, the girl is in a stressful state.

"I became afraid of every knock on the door," says Dasha, "I stopped keeping a diary, writing poetry and even taking notes on my phone. It seems to me that uninvited guests will come again and take it all away.

Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, residents of the Kamchatka Territory, were detained during a raid in front of their minor daughter Elizaveta. Both spouses are now under recognizance not to leave and are forced to deal with the consequences of stress in their daughter.

At least 18 families are prosecuted for religious reasons. Among them are married couples - Mikhail and Elena Popov (Kamchatka Territory), Sergey and Natalia Mysin (Ulyanovsk Region), Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk (Khabarovsk Territory), as well as Vilen and his son Arsen Avanesov (Rostov Region ), Sergey Kulakov together with his son Dmitry (Sakhalin Region), Valentina and Roman Baranovsky (mother and son, Khakassia), Sergey and Svetlana Malyanov (father and daughter, Nizhny Novgorod region).

In some cases, law enforcement officers act with excessive harshness in relation to minor children. So, in July 2019 in Kaluga, during the arrest of Roman Makhnev, his 15-year-old daughter was put barefoot on the street by the security forces. For a long time Dasha stood in the rain. During the search, the security forces planted publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials under the girl's bed. In this case, the child did not become a defendant in the criminal case, but her father was sent to a pre-trial detention center.