Name: Kocherova Lyubov Nikolayevna
Date of Birth: May 10, 1958
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Sentence: punishment in the form of 6 years of imprisonment with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year 6 months, punishment in the form of imprisonment shall be considered conditional with a probationary period of 3 years

Biography

Lyubov Kocherova, who grew up without a father and lost her son, faced persecution for her faith in Jehovah God and misunderstanding from her relatives. March 2022 was a turning point in her life—then her house was searched, and she became a defendant in a criminal case only because of her faith.

Lyubov was born in May 1958 in the city of Aktyubinsk (Kazakhstan). She has an elder brother and a younger sister, her parents are deceased. When Lyubov was 8 years old, her mother, due to a difficult situation in the family, moved to the village of Knyaz-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory).

As a child, Lyubov was fond of athletics and knitting. After school, she graduated from college and worked as a salesman, telegraph operator and military radiotelegraph operator. At various times, she lived in Krasnodar, Kamchatka, in the village of Khor, Khabarovsk Territory.

Lyubov met her future husband in 1998. She has a daughter. Lyubov's brother and his wife first became interested in Bible teachings. From them, the woman learned that the Bible says a lot about love, which she lacked all her life. When she began to read the Bible, she realized that she could no longer work in the military unit and quit. Lyubov embarked on the Christian path in 2002. Her granddaughter followed suit.

When the criminal prosecution for faith began, Lyubov's husband could not understand her Christian position, and her sister encouraged her to abandon her faith "so as not to end up in prison." The brother supports Lyubov and respects her beliefs.

Case History

From April 2020, on the instructions of the FSB, a resident of the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye began recording conversations about the Bible with Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova. Two years later, a criminal case was initiated against the pensioners for participating in and involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. They were charged with “asking questions on religious topics regarding… understanding the Bible.” In March 2023, the case went to court, and in August of the same year, Kocherova and Ovchinnikova were given a 6-year suspended sentence. In December, the court of appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2024.
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