Name: Kupriyanskiy Nikolay Viktorovich
Date of Birth: November 16, 1967
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 421 day Under house arrest
Current restrictions: house arrest

Biography

In July 2023, peaceful believer Nikolay Kupriyanskiy became a defendant in a criminal case for his belief in Jehovah God. His house was searched, the man was placed in a temporary detention facility, and later under house arrest.

Nikolay was born in November 1967 in Kursk. His father is retired and worked as a locksmith all his life. His mother and younger brother have passed away.

As a child, Nikolay loved sports—he was engaged in wrestling, shooting, skiing. After school, he graduated from the Oryol Commercial Institute, was engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

In 1985, Nikolay met Tatyana in the theater studio. A year later, they got married. The couple have an adult son and daughter who live separately. Tatyana is a teacher. She likes needlework, sewing, baking bread, making cheese, and cultivating a garden, especially growing strawberries. Nikolay has been fond of playing the guitar since his youth.

In 1997, the Kupriyanskiys got acquainted with the Bible, and after two years of studying this book, Nikolay and Tatyana decided to become Jehovah's Witnesses.

The criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the spouses. Since Nikolay was placed under house arrest, Tatyana has to care for the family on her own.

Case History

In August 2023, the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched in Kursk. An FSB investigator opened a criminal case against Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and spouses Dmitriy Chausov and Oksana Chausova. All three were detained. They were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist community and participating in it. Dmitriy was sent to a pre-trial detention center, and later, like Nikolay and Oksana, under house arrest. The Chausovs were separated due to a ban on communication. In June 2024, the case went to court.