Danielyan Aram

Updated: May 3, 2024
Name: Danielyan Aram Rudikovich
Date of Birth: October 21, 1990
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 440 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: Detention center
Sentence: punishment in the form of 7 years of imprisonment with serving a sentence in a penal colony of general regime, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of a public religious organization for a period of 4 years, with restriction of liberty for 1 year 6 months
Currently held in: Detention Center No. 1 in Samara Region
Address for correspondence: Danielyan Aram Rudikovich, born 1990, SIZO No. 1 in Samara Region, pr. Sadoviy, Samara, Russia, 443022

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

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

Biography

Late in the evening in January 2022, Aram Danielyan, the father of a six-month-old baby, was detained at the Samara airport when he was about to visit his homeland of Armenia. He was sent to jail only because he reads the Bible and believes in Jehovah God.

Aram was born in October 1990 in the city of Sevan (Armenia). When he was six months old, the family moved to Russia, to Pyatigorsk (Stavropol Territory), where Aram's younger brother was born. In 2001, the family moved to Samara.

After school, Aram graduated from the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. He worked as an engineer in the production and technical department, a sales manager, and worked as a merchandiser during his student years. Before his arrest, he worked in the supply department of a road construction company.

Aram has been fond of football, volleyball since childhood, loves fishing, and studied astronomy for some time. He likes to spend his free time with friends and relax in nature.

Aram was introduced to Bible teachings as a child. His aunt gave him a book about the Bible, which he liked so much that Aram read it several times. Since then, the boy asked his mother to take him to services. She agreed, and then began to visit them regularly herself. Soon, in 2000, Aram's mother embarked on the Christian path. Her son followed suit in 2011. Soon, driven by his peaceful convictions, he completed alternative civilian service.

In 2017, Aram married Elina, who shares his religious views. In June 2021, their son was born.

Employees at work are surprised that a criminal case could be opened against this honest and decent person. Relatives, including those who do not share his beliefs, are painfully experiencing the forced separation.

Case History

In December 2021, at least 10 homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched in Samara. In one of the apartments, the security forces tortured and beat believers. Three men were arrested and taken into custody. An investigator of the FSB of Russia opened a criminal case against Sergey Polosenko, Denis Kuzyanin, Nikolay Vasiliyev and Aram Danielyan, who was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center three weeks later, on charges of continuing the activities of the “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” in the Samara region. After about 300 days of imprisonment, the believers were released from custody under a ban on certain actions. In April 2023, the case went to court. In January 2024, the prosecutor requested that the believers be sentenced to 9 years in prison. At the same hearing, the court sent them to jail for 7 years.
Timeline