Name: Bondarev Vasiliy Vladimirovich
Date of Birth: October 11, 1996
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Current restrictions: obligation to appear
Sentence: imprisonment for a period of 2 years conditionally with a probation period of 3 years, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public organizations, associations for a period of 2 years

Biography

Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina became defendants in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God in May 2023.

Vasiliy was born in October 1996 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. He has an elder brother and sister. Mother worked as a designer, graphic designer, was engaged in the manufacture of clothes, now retired. His father died in January 2020.

Vasiliy graduated from the medical college with a degree in General Medicine. He worked for four years in an ambulance, currently works as a district paramedic in a clinic.

The young man loves music since childhood, plays the piano in his free time and relaxes with friends in nature.

From birth, his mother instilled Christian values in Vasiliy. Studying the Bible on his own, the young man became convinced that it was consistent with science and history. As a result, in 2014 he embarked on the Christian path.

Relatives and friends of the Bondarevs wonder how these peaceful people can be accused of extremism.

Case History

In May 2023, the homes of peaceful residents in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, as well as in Khurba and Molodezhniy, were searched during the night on religious grounds. The investigation initiated a criminal case against 10 believers: Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey and Ulita Sachnev, Nikolay Kovadnev, Ivan Nikitin, Mikhail Dorofeev, Radion Shitov, Marina Voytko and Svetlana Zharkova. They were charged with involving others in the activity of a banned organization. In 2024, the prosecutor’s office returned the case to the investigator twice. In October of the same year, the case went to court. All the defendants were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which made it difficult for them to pay bills and manage their assets. In October 2025, the court gave suspended sentences of 6 years to Dorofeev, Kovadnev and Shitov and 2 years to the Bondarevs, the Sachnevs, Zharkova, Voytko and Nikitin. Among the convicted persons, five are over 60.
Back to top