Name: Krushevskiy Aleksandr Nikolayevich
Date of Birth: March 31, 1978
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Current restrictions: recognizance agreement
Sentence: imprisonment for a term of 5 years, with restriction of freedom for a term of 1 year 6 months, the sentence in the form of imprisonment is considered conditional with a probation period of 5 years

Biography

Aleksandr Krushevskiy, a hearing-impaired person from Birobidzhan, became a defendant in a criminal case because of his faith. In February 2024, the homes of him and his elderly mother were searched. A year later, the man was summoned to an investigator and accused of extremism.

Aleksandr was born in March 1978 in the village of Slavyanka, Primorye Territory. He has an elder brother. The father is no longer alive. While at school, Aleksandr helped his parents with household chores on the farm. Later, he mastered confectionery and also studied to be a radio mechanic. After graduating, the young man began to work in his specialty—as a pastry chef, as well as a master for the maintenance and repair of household appliances. Later he worked as a tinsmith of drainage and ventilation systems and as a "foreman for an hour".

In search of work, Aleksandr moved to Birobidzhan, where his brother lived at that time. There he began to study the Bible. Aleksandr recalls that he was especially impressed by the biblical promise that in the future his hearing would be restored. "I'm hard of hearing, I wear a hearing aid and I'm waiting for it. As soon as I feel that I hear, I will immediately throw away my 'prosthesis'," he shared. At the age of 30, Aleksandr was baptized as a Christian.

In July 2008, Aleksandr married Victoriya. She enjoys helping others learn sign language.

The searches affected Aleksandr's emotional and physical state. Relatives and friends consider the persecution unfair and worry about the believer, especially given his disabilities.

Case History

In January 2024, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case in Birobidzhan against unidentified persons for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. 13 days later, the homes of elderly Anatoliy Artamonov and Aleksandr Krushevskiy, who is hearing impaired, were searched. In January 2025, the investigator chose a restriction measure for the believers in the form of a recognizance agreement, and two days later he also charged them with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The reason for this was peaceful conversations about the Bible with two women. In February 2025, both Jehovah’s Witnesses were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists, and the case was taken to court. The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a penal colony for the believers. In July, the court sentenced Krushevskiy and Artamonov to 5 years of suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 1.5 years.
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