Vaganov Aleksandr

Name: Vaganov Aleksandr Viktorovich
Date of Birth: July 8, 1985
Current status: defendant
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility
Current restrictions: prohibition of certain actions

Biography

In March 2023, Aleksandr Vaganov faced prosecution for his peace-loving views when the law enforcement officers searched his home. The believer learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him.

Aleksandr was born in July 1985 in the city of Kingisepp. He has an older sister.

After school, Aleksandr became carpenter-joiner. While still studying at a technical college, the young man defended his peaceful convictions at the lessons of elementary military training. Upon reaching military age, he completed alternative civilian service, working in a circus. Aleksandr spent a year in Segezha (Karelia), but the rest of the time he lived in his hometown, in Kingisepp.

For some time, Aleksandr was a laborer at a construction site and a gardener. Prior to the criminal prosecution, he worked as a janitor in a kindergarten. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and photographing old buildings.

Aleksandr became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001. He was motivated to make these changes in his life by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecies, which he learned from his study of the Scriptures.

Case History

At the end of February 2023, 7 searches were carried out in the cities of Kingisepp and Slantsy (Leningrad Region). The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under an extremist article against Kirill Khabrik, Igor Zhmyrev and other unidentified persons. Charges were also brought against Andrey Morozov, Sergey Ryabokon and Yevgeniy Poveshchenko. The latter was put under a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave, and the rest were placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent from 9 to 11 months. At the end of March, searches were again carried out in Kingisepp. 11 other believers were interrogated. Five more people became defendants in the criminal case: Miroslav Sabodash, Igor Shevlyuga, Tatyana Stepanova, Aleksandr Vaganov and Konstantsiya Vovk. They were placed in a temporary detention facility, but soon everyone was released, except for Igor Shevlyuga, who spent a month in a pre-trial detention center. In May 2024, the case went to court.
Timeline