Name: Chausov Dmitriy Vladimirovich
Date of Birth: February 27, 1988
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 410 day in a pre-trial detention, 277 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: restriction of freedom
Sentence: imprisonment for a term of 1 year 10 months with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious organizations and associations, for a term of 2 years, with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months, with serving a sentence in the form of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony

Biography

Dmitriy Chausov was born in 1988 in Kursk. His grandmother was engaged in his upbringing. In his youth, he was fond of running; after school he graduated from a railway technical school. In 2012, he served in the army, then worked as a railway fitter, and later as a welder in the housing and utilities sector. In his free time, Dmitriy is engaged in viticulture—he has his own small vineyard.

Dmitriy met Oksana in 2012, and six months later they got married. Oksana is a master of manicure and pedicure. Since childhood, she was familiar with the Bible: her grandparents were believers.

When Dmitriy began to read the Bible, he was especially touched by the teaching on the resurrection of the dead—he took the death of his grandmother hard. The desire to learn more about God prompted him in 2014 to devote his life to serving him. On the same day, his wife was baptized.

In December 2024, the court sentenced Dmitriy and Oksana to 2.5 years in a penal colony for discussing the Bible with fellow believers. Being in a pre-trial detention center. He could not take care of his wife and was also forced to interrupt treatment for a serious illness. Speaking with the final statement in court, the believer said: "It is very bitter and sad that we, who peacefully profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, were put on a par with real extremists who really encroach on the security of the Russian Federation and ruthlessly take the lives of many people."

Case History

In August 2023, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kursk. An FSB investigator initiated a criminal case against Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and the Chausovs, Dmitriy and Oksana. All three were detained. They were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. Dmitriy was sent to a pretrial detention center, and later, like Nikolay and Oksana, placed under house arrest. The Chausovs were separated due to a ban on communication. In June 2024, the case was brought to court. The verdict was announced 6 months later: Nikolay Kupriyanskiy — 6 years in a penal colony, Dmitry Chausov and his wife Oksana — 2.5 years each. In May 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision, while reducing the imposed terms: for Kupriyanskiy — to 4.5 years, for the Chausovs — to 1 year and 10 months. Dmitriy Chausov was released in the courtroom, as he had already served his entire term in a pretrial detention center.
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