Kuzhelkov Anton

Name: Kuzhelkov Anton Vladimirovich
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 431 day in a pre-trial detention
Sentence: Sentence: 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment to be served in a general regime penal colony, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious organizations for a period of 4 years, with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year

Biography

Anton Kuzhelkov's convictions prompted him to exercise his right to alternative civilian service in 2011. He passed it in the veterans' home and was there in good standing. However, because of his Christian views, the young man became accused of organizing extremist activities and ended up in a pre-trial detention center.

Anton was born in April 1993 in the Karelian town of Sortavala on the picturesque coast of Ladoga. He has two younger brothers. The boys were brought up in a very religious family. As a child, Anton liked fishing and riding a snowboard.

The young man followed in his father's footsteps and worked for some time in the construction industry. He also acquired the skills of a plumber and gas boiler maintenance specialist. In his free time, he likes to draw, make bow ties from wood, take photographs and model out of paper.

In 2015, Anton married Alyona, a girl who shares his Christian views. Alyona is a professional violinist. The couple love to play board games, travel, go hiking.

Alyona really hopes that soon peace and tranquility will return to their home. They worry about Anton and his family, including those who do not share the Kuzhelkovs' religious beliefs. They are shocked by the unfair treatment of a respectable young man.

Case History

In December 2020, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases on account of their faith against Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolay Prokhorov. That same day, they were consolidated into a single proceeding. Security forces conducted searches at 19 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kirsanov, as well as at Kuzhelkov’s actual place of residence in the town of Lukhovitsy (Moscow Region). Anton was placed in a pretrial detention center (SIZO), where he remained for 431 days, after which he was released under restrictions prohibiting certain actions. In September 2021, the case was submitted to court, and in December 2023 a different judge began hearing it anew. In May 2025, the court sentenced the believer to a suspended term of six and a half years, and in October the appellate court replaced the suspended sentence with actual imprisonment. Around the same time, Prokhorov’s case materials were severed into a separate proceeding.
Timeline
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