Biography
On July 13, 2020 law enforcement agencies of Voronezh region conducted a large-scale special operation against Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the victims - 51-year-old Anatoly Yagupov, who was tortured by law enforcement officials.
Anatoly Yagupov was born in October 1968 in Voronezh. As a child, he was fond of radio engineering. After graduating from school, he worked on milling machines. Recently he has been working in the field of cleaning.
In 1996 he married Larisa and they have a daughter.
Loves fishing and construction, he built his own house.
For a long time Anatoly was worried about the future. The answers to his questions, found in the Bible, prompted him to become a Christian. His wife supports him in the chosen beliefs.
Anatoly's criminal prosecution led to the loss of his job and a sharp deterioration in his health - his chronic diseases had worsened.
Case History
In one day, July 13, 2020, 110 searches were carried out in 7 settlements of the Voronezh Region — a record-breaking operation against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. Five believers reported torture by the security forces. Ten men aged 24 to 56 years were charged by the Investigative Committee with organizing extremist activities and sent them to prison, where most of them were held for almost 5 months. The events in Voronezh caused a wide public outcry: the EU countries, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States, expressed regret and bewilderment in connection with the incident. The believers themselves do not admit guilt in extremism and emphasize that, as Christians, they respect the authorities and peacefully practice their religion in accordance with constitutional law. Consideration of the case in court began in December 2021. Believers face up to 10 years in prison.
