Popova Yelena

Name: Popova Yelena Vyacheslavovna
Date of Birth: September 10, 1963
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 4 day in a temporary detention facility, 7 day Under house arrest
Sentence: penalty in the form of a fine in the amount of 250,000 rubles

Biography

Yelena Popova was arrested on July 30, 2018 in Kamchatka together with her husband Mikhail, spent several days in a temporary detention center and under house arrest. He is charged under Article 282.2 (parts 1, 1.1) related to "extremist activity". What do we know about her?

Elena was born in 1963 in Aleksin (Tula region). As a child, she studied piano at a music school, was fond of photography and sewing clothes. In 1972, together with her parents, she moved to Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory). Later she met Mikhail there, whom she married in 1985. Mikhail was a talented musician, performed in a vocal and instrumental ensemble. In the following years, they had two children. All members of the Popov family love to relax together, play musical instruments, be in nature and communicate on spiritual topics.

In the mid-1990s, both Elena and Mikhail became keenly interested in the teachings of the Bible and in the future always sought to adhere to the norms of behavior and attitude towards people that it prescribes in their lives. "Love and harmony should reign in all families, around the world. This is what the Bible teaches, and what my husband and I strive for, "says Elena.

Yelena's relatives and neighbors, who do not even share her religious views, were very surprised to learn about the arrest. They wonder how the "extremist" Article 282.2 can be applied to such a peace-loving and decent person.

After 22 months, the criminal prosecution lasted, the believers were found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced to a large fine. The verdict came into force on May 19, 2020, when the Kamchatka Regional Court issued an appeal ruling on their complaint.

Case History

In July 2018, mass searches took place in Kamchatka. Armed FSB officers arrested Mikhail and Yelena Popov from Vilyuchinsk. The couple spent 11 and 5 days in the temporary detention facility, respectively. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the Popovs under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the prosecution, the couple organized the activities of an extremist organization and involved local residents in it. This is how the investigation interpreted participation in worship services and discussion of the Bible with several people who feigned interest in it. The case went to court in September 2019. At one of the hearings, Judge Aleksandr Ishchenko [called] (/en/news/2019/12/1464.html) “extremist statements” a reference to the fact that in World War II Catholics and Protestants from some European countries shot at their fellow believers from other countries. In February 2020, the court softened the article of the charges and imposed fines on the believers: Mikhail 350 thousand rubles, and Yelena 300 thousand rubles. The appeal reduced the amount to 250 thousand rubles each.
Timeline
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