Kazadaev Pavel

Name: Kazadaev Pavel Alekseyevich
Date of Birth: September 30, 1996
Current status: main sentence served
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 1092 day in prison
Current restrictions: restriction of freedom
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 3 years with serving the sentence in a correctional colony of general regime with restriction of liberty for 6 months
Released: August 14, 2026

Biography

Pavel Kazadayev, out of love for people, refused to learn to fight and exercised his right to alternative civilian service, but in 2021 he was charged with "undermining the constitutional order" because he practices the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and discusses the Bible with others. In April 2023, the court gave Pavel a 3-year suspended sentence, but the court of appeal soon replaced it with actual imprisonment. The believer was released in the summer of 2026.

Pavel was born in September 1996 in the city of Ust-Ilimsk (Irkutsk region). Two years later, the family moved to the village of Lugovoye (Altai Territory). His father works as a machine operator at a factory, and his mother works in cleaning. Pavel is the eldest of three sons. As a child, he was fond of volleyball, football, cycling, and ice skating. He graduated from school with honors.

Parents from early childhood instilled in their sons high moral standards. Pavel said he was fascinated by the wisdom of the universe and the benefits of applying Bible counsel. In Pavel's family, 15 people, including himself, try to live according to the Christian principles set forth in the Bible.

After studying at school, Pavel decided to go through alternative civilian service, since his convictions do not allow him to take up arms. He worked as a postman in his village. At the end of the service, he worked as a repairman for phones and tablets, then worked for some time in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order on the streets of the city. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as an installer and technician for video surveillance, fire, and burglar alarms.

In 2020, Pavel married Darya, who, like him, appreciates biblical wisdom since childhood. She always dreamed of finding true friends and found them among fellow believers, as she made sure that they live according to biblical principles. Darya likes foreign languages; she mastered sign language. The couple are fond of cooking, like spending time with friends, traveling and going to the mountains. In February 2021, the Kazadaevs moved to Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region).

Religious persecution affected the health of Pavel's family, who were emotionally disturbed by the unjust criminal prosecution of the believer.

Case History

In May 2021, the Investigative Committee charged Pavel Kazadaev with participating in the activity of an extremist organization, “including by conducting conversations.” This was followed by a large-scale raid on believers in the Altai Territory called Armageddon. Law enforcement officers searched the home of Pavel’s relatives in Lugovoye, as well as his apartment in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region), after which the believer was taken to Barnaul for interrogation. After spending 24 hours in a temporary detention facility, he was placed under a recognizance agreement. At the end of June 2022, the criminal case went to court. In April 2023, Pavel Kazadaev was given a 3-year suspended sentence with a restriction of freedom for 6 months and a 2-year probation period. In August, in response to the prosecutor’s appeal, the court of appeal toughened the sentence, replacing the suspended sentence with imprisonment. Pavel was sent to a penal colony for 3 years. In June 2024, the court of cassation upheld the appellate decision. Pavel was released in August 2026.
Timeline
Back to top