Bushev Yevgeniy

Name: Bushev Yevgeniy Valeriyevich
Date of Birth: November 9, 1973
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 170 day in a pre-trial detention, 239 day in prison
Sentence: imprisonment for 6 years with deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities related to leadership and participation in the work of religious organizations for a term of 7 years, with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year, with serving a sentence in the form of imprisonment in a general regime correctional colony
Currently held in: Penal Colony No. 11, Chelyabinsk Region
Address for correspondence: Bushev Yevgeniy Valeriyevich, born 1973, Penal Colony No. 11, Chelyabinsk Region, Elektrovoznaya str., Kopeysk, Chelyabinsk region, Russia, 456656

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the «zonatelecom».

Parcels and parcels should not be sent because of the limit on their number per year.

Note: discussing topics related to criminal prosecution is not allowed in letters; languages other than Russian will not pass.

Biography

Yevgeniy Bushev found out that he was a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in September 2022, when the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in his hometown of Chelyabinsk and he himself became one of the victims of illegal actions by law enforcement officials.

Yevgeniy was born in November 1973 in Chelyabinsk. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked as a nurse in a kindergarten. Parents divorced when the boy was 6. After 30 years, Yevgeniy resumed communication with his father, and they kept in touch until his death. The mother is also no longer alive.

From his youth, Yevgeniy was seriously fond of sports—first boxing, then karate, participated in city competitions. He wanted to improve in martial arts, but after an injury in 1995, he had to end his sports career. He was also fond of painting and photography.

After school, Yevgeniy entered an industrial college, but did not finish his studies, as he devoted most of his time to sports. He graduated from the courses of an electric and gas welder and studied to be a turner. After retiring from the sport, Yevgeniy underwent special training and worked as a security guard for 8 years. Recently, he was engaged in the repair and maintenance of buildings.

Since childhood, Yevgeniy has been asking questions: what is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Does humanity have a future? Why is evil not always punished? He looked for answers in different religions and philosophies. At the age of 30, Yevgeniy began to study the Bible. He was impressed by the consistency of this book with science, the fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in it, and the wisdom of its laws. In 2004, he decided to embark on the Christian path.

Yevgeniy still loves sports—he rides a bicycle, goes hiking in the mountains and performs strength exercises on the uneven bars, horizontal bar and kettlebells.

Due to criminal prosecution, the believer lost a stable source of income, as he was forced to resign, and his bank accounts were blocked. Also, due to stress, chronic diseases have worsened.

Yevgeniy's relatives and friends do not understand why they are persecuting this law-abiding citizen.

Case History

One September evening in 2022, Yevgeniy Bushev from Chelyabinsk was visiting a friend whose home was raided by law enforcement officers while he was there. It turned out, the Investigative Committee suspected Yevgeniy of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and a criminal case was initiated against him. The believer was taken to his home for it to be searched, and the next day he was placed under a recognizance agreement. Later, the charge was reclassified to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to investigator Aleksandr Chepenko, Bushev is guilty of extremism because he attended the meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses and talked with people about the Bible. Testimony against the believer was given by a National Guard officer, who feigned interest in the Bible. In August 2023, the court accepted the case materials for consideration, and 2 months later sentenced the believer to 7 years of imprisonment. In April 2024, the court of appeal reduced this term to 6 years in a penal colony.
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