Biography
In 2018, a peaceful family man Igor Turik was detained in Perm. He was accused of 2 extremist articles at once only because of his faith in Jehovah God. For more than 3 years, he defended his good name in the courts, but in May 2021 he was found guilty and sentenced to 7 years of suspended imprisonment.
Igor was born in 1968 in Nelidovo (Tver region). He has a younger brother. Since childhood, Igor has been fond of photography and videography, as well as radio electronics. Later, he mastered the professions of photographer and architectural designer and successfully worked in these areas. For some time he lived in Anapa and Naberezhnye Chelny, and later settled in Perm. For 18 years, Igor has designed and built about 40 objects for various purposes in Perm and the Perm Territory, including shopping centers. Even while he was under investigation, he managed to improve the square, the embankment and the whole street near the local history museum in Dobryanka.
In the 1990s, Igor got acquainted with the Bible. He was impressed by its inner consistency and fulfilled prophecies. This prompted him to become a Christian. Speaking in court, Igor said: "You would have known what I was 25 years ago, before I became Jehovah's Witness. That's when I needed to be held accountable. I have completely changed because of my relationship with God. Previously, in my hometown, neighbors were shocked only when they saw me. Until recently, they were shocked that the truth can change a person for the better. And now they are shocked that I face such a monstrous sentence, as if I were an incorrigible useless person.
In 2002, Igor got married, he has a son and a daughter of school age. In court, the believer emphasized: "I have always taught my children to be kind, to be honest, to respect the views of other people, they grow up to be excellent citizens, they have deep respect for parents and society."
Igor's relatives, friends and colleagues hoped to the last that the believer would be acquitted. The guilty verdict came as a surprise to them.