Name: Kokovin Anton Pavlovich
Date of Birth: July 10, 1990
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Sentence: Penalty in the form of a fine in the amount of 75,000 rubles

Biography

Two searches in a day, an interrogation and a threat of imprisonment — a criminal case for faith turned the life of an engineer from Yaroslavl, Anton Kokovin.

Anton was born in July 1990 in the city of Yaroslavl, where he still lives. His mother works as a sales assistant, his father is retired, a disabled person of group II.

Since childhood, Anton was fond of technology, attended various circles and sections, especially loved theatrical art lessons. He graduated with honors from a technical school with a degree in auto mechanics.

Anton has been working in the telecommunications industry for more than 10 years, most recently as a communications engineer. He spends his free time with friends, loves to travel, watch movies and listen to music.

Anton has been familiar with biblical teachings since childhood. "As I approached adulthood, I realized that there was no real meaning in life without God," Anton said, "so I decided to devote my life to him." In 2009, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The criminal prosecution created difficulties: due to the restrictions imposed, Anton cannot travel to other cities for work, and even more so to visit friends. He worries about how what is happening will affect his loved ones.

Case History

In May 2022, law enforcement officers detained communications engineer Anton Kokovin on the central street of Yaroslavl. After a search at his place of residence and in the apartment where he was visiting, the believer was interrogated. He was placed under a recognizance agreement. A criminal case was initiated for participating in the activity of an extremist organization — this is how the investigator of the RF Investigative Committee regarded participating in peaceful meetings for worship via video link. It turns out, that from March 2019, hidden audio recordings of meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses were being made. In May 2023, the case went to court, and in September 2024, the believer was fined to 75,000 rubles.
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