Updated: March 28, 2024
Name: Ganusha Olga Aleksandrovna
Date of Birth: April 30, 1961
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 2 years, without restriction of liberty, a sentence of imprisonment shall be considered conditional with a probationary period of 1 year 6 months

Biography

In the apartment of a peaceful pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, Olga Ganusha, covert video surveillance was installed. In 2019, a criminal case was initiated against the believer. In July 2021, Judge Viktor Trofimov convicted and sentenced the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.

Olga was born in Rostov-on-Don in 1961. She has an elder sister. Since childhood, Olga was fond of dancing, embroidery, photography and needlework, and in her youth she sang in an ensemble. After the 8th grade, she entered a construction college, then worked as a foreman at a gypsum factory and a typist at a tobacco factory.

Olga lived all her life in her native Rostov-on-Don, only occasionally going to Shakhty and Taganrog. Now he is on a well-deserved rest. In his spare time, he still likes to do needlework, listens to classical music and reads humorous stories.

For more than 20 years, Olga has been leading a Christian lifestyle. It was always hard for her to come to terms with death, and she never believed in an afterlife. When she first learned from the Bible that people can live forever and meet resurrected loved ones in an earthly paradise, her joy knew no bounds. She was also fascinated by the practicality of the biblical advice. To her son Alexei, who, due to circumstances, had to be raised alone, she was able to instill high moral standards based on Christian commandments.

The criminal prosecution had a strong impact on Olga's health. All chronic diseases affecting vital organs have worsened. "My life was divided into before and after the search," she says. "There was a fear when I suddenly heard a knock on the door, my sleep was disturbed." The son is very worried about his mother and her health. Although other relatives do not share Olga's religious views, they do not understand why she is being persecuted.

Case History

Olga Ganusha, a peaceful pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, was accused of extremism after officers of the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee installed hidden video surveillance in her apartment. The operatives filmed peaceful conversations of believers about the Bible. Based on these records, investigator Antipov opened a criminal case in June 2019. The investigation lasted 19 months, then the materials were submitted to the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don. During the hearings, the groundlessness of the accusations became apparent. None of the witnesses, including law enforcement officials, could name a single specific extremist action or appeal on the part of Olga Ganusha. The prosecutor asked the court to give the believer a suspended sentence of 3 years. In July 2021, Judge Viktor Trofimov convicted and sentenced the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. In September, the Court of Appeal, and later, in February 2022, the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict.