Name: Parkov Aleksandr Mikhailovich
Date of Birth: September 5, 1967
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 4 day in a temporary detention facility, 925 day in a pre-trial detention, 980 day in prison
Current restrictions: restriction of freedom
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for 6 years 6 months in a correctional colony of general regime, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for a period of 5 years, with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year

Biography

In May 2019, Aleksandr Parkov was detained and placed in custody. A criminal case was also opened against the believer's wife, Galina. In January 2021, the court sentenced her to 2 years and 3 months on probation, and in July 2021, Aleksandr himself received 6.5 years of real imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.

Aleksandr was born in 1967 in the village of Spassk (Kemerovo Region). He has three siblings, their sister died. A large family lived in the village, and Aleksandr got used to work from an early age: he carried hay, grazed cattle, and later mastered the professions of a tractor driver and a bulldozer driver.

In 1990, Aleksandr married Galina, a primary school teacher. Recently, Galina has taught Chinese. Soon after the wedding, the Parkovs became keenly interested in the Bible and carried their love for this book throughout their lives. The couple have three children and already have grandchildren.

In 1999, Aleksandr moved his family to Mineralnye Vody and mastered a new business for himself — artistic copper forging. For some time the family lived in Yekaterinburg, and since 2016 Rostov-on-Don became their home.

The eldest daughter, Aleksandra, was expecting a child when her father was arrested. She had complications due to the stress. Not all of Aleksandr's relatives share his religious convictions, but everyone is outraged by the unfair treatment of him. The harsh verdict of the court came as a complete surprise to them.

Case History

Searches, arrests, humiliation and intimidation — in May 2019, Aleksandr Parkov, Vilen and Arsen Avanesov from Rostov-on-Don were detained by officers of the Investigative Committee for allegedly continuing the activity of the banned organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were placed in a pretrial detention center, where they spent 925 days. The charges against the believers were based on falsifications and the testimony of a provocateur recruited by the FSB. In July 2021, the court sentenced Vilen to 6 years in a penal colony, and Aleksandr and Arsen to 6.5 years. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld this decision. Arsen was also charged under another article — financing the activity of an extremist organization, and his sentence was increased to 7 years. In February 2024, Vilen Avanesov was released, having served his term in full. In August 2024, Aleksandr Parkov, and in October Arsen Avanesov were also released from the penal colony.
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