Updated: May 1, 2024
Name: Morozov Andrey Sergeyevich
Date of Birth: July 3, 1975
Current status: accused
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 270 day in a pre-trial detention, 17 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: Recognizance agreement

Biography

In February 2023, Andrey Morozov was placed in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case was initiated against him, accusing him of organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization. He was among the first Jehovah's Witnesses in the Leningrad Region to be prosecuted for their beliefs.

Andrey was born in July 1975 in the city of Kingisepp (Leningrad Region), where he lived until his detention. His brother died at the age of 16 in an accident. As a child, Andrey played sports, wrestled and loved reading. After school, he graduated as a smith from the Narva Technical School and worked in his specialty at local factories.

Andrey was interested in spiritual matters, and he turned to different religions. He was able to find comprehensive answers for himself in the Bible, and in April 2002 he decided to embark on the Christian path.

In 2005, Andrey met his future wife Olga, and two years later they got married. Olga works as a physical education instructor in a kindergarten. She shares the religious views of her husband. At one time, the Bible teaching about the resurrection freed her from the intense fear of death, and in 2001 she started the Christian way of life. In their free time, the couple love to travel and ride bikes.

The criminal prosecution disrupted the usual routine of Andrey and his family. Olga experienced severe stress. The husband's salary was the main source of income, so his arrest affected the financial situation of the family. Their relatives do not share Andrey's religious views, but they worry about him and sympathize.

Case History

At the end of February 2023, seven searches took place in the towns of Kingisepp and Slantsy, Leningrad Region. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case on charges of extremism against Kirill Khabrik, Igor Zhmyrev, and other unidentified persons. Charges were also filed against Sergey Ryabokon, Andrey Morozov, and Yevgeniy Poveshchenko. The latter is under a recognizance agreement; the rest have been detained. At the end of March, searches again took place in Kingisepp. Eleven believers were interrogated. Five more people became defendants in the criminal case: Miroslav Sabodash, Igor Shevlyuga, Tatyana Stepanova, Aleksandr Vaganov, and Konstantsiya Vovk. They were placed in a temporary detention center but were quickly released except for Shevlyuga, who spent 26 days in a detention center. All five are prohibited from certain activities.