Name: Karpov Aleksey Vitaliyevich
Date of Birth: February 27, 1972
Current status: accused
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 46 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: detention center
Currently held in: Detention Center No.1 for Trans-Baikal Territory

Karpov Aleksey Vitaliyevich, born 1972, Detention Center No.1 for Trans-Baikal Territory, Ul. Ingodinskaya, 1 A, Chita, Trans-Baikal Territory, 672010

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the ZT system.

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

Biography

Aleksey Karpov from Chita, became the subject of a criminal case for his faith in March 2026. Armed and masked law enforcement officers broke into his home, forcing the locks and damaging the front door. This was already the second search Aleksey faced: the first took place in 2020. During that earlier search, law enforcement officers used physical force against his 17‑year‑old son.

Aleksey was born in 1972 in Ulan‑Ude. He has an older sister. His father worked in construction and as a stove maker. He often took young Aleksey with him to work, which sparked the boy's interest in construction and equipment repair. Aleksey was an active child: he enjoyed riding bicycles and motorcycles and was interested in drawing. During the summer, he learned gardening from his mother while helping her at their dacha.

Later, Aleksey trained as a tractor and bulldozer operator. He did not only work in this field: following in his father's footsteps, he worked in construction and, up until his arrest, earned a living as a stove maker. He still likes drawing and also studies foreign languages.

Aleksey became acquainted with the Bible in the early 1990s. He found answers to questions that were important to him and was baptized in 1994. According to him, studying the Bible and applying its counsel had a positive effect on his family life and health and helped him overcome harmful habits.

Aleksey married Yuliya in 2004. His wife shares his interest in drawing and enjoys sewing. They like to spend their free time together traveling, working in the garden, caring for plants, and meeting with friends.

Aleksey is deeply distressed that he is unable to provide for his family financially: due to his arrest, he lost his clients and income. He is also worried about his elderly mother, who has a disability and requires care — something he is unable to provide while being held in pretrial detention.

Case History

In March 2026, the FSB opened a criminal case against ten residents of Chita. The believers were suspected of organizing and participating in extremist activities merely for reading the Bible together with friends. The oldest among them, Anatoliy Pozdnyakov, was 67 years old at the time, while Svetlana Arefyeva and Anna Guseva were just 21. After the searches, eight of the defendants were placed under travel restrictions, Pozdnyakov was sent to house arrest, and Aleksey Karpov and Bakhtiyor Raupov were taken into custody.
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