Name: Kuzhelkov Anton Vladimirovich
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 1 day in a temporary detention facility, 431 day in a pre-trial detention
Current restrictions: recognizance agreement
Sentence: punishment in the form of 6 years 6 months of imprisonment, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious organizations for a period of 4 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year, the sentence in the form of imprisonment is considered conditional with a probation period of 5 years

Biography

Anton Kuzhelkov's convictions prompted him to exercise his right to alternative civilian service in 2011. He passed it in the veterans' home and was there in good standing. However, because of his Christian views, the young man became accused of organizing extremist activities and ended up in a pre-trial detention center.

Anton was born in April 1993 in the Karelian town of Sortavala on the picturesque coast of Ladoga. He has two younger brothers. The boys were brought up in a very religious family. As a child, Anton liked fishing and riding a snowboard.

The young man followed in his father's footsteps and worked for some time in the construction industry. He also acquired the skills of a plumber and gas boiler maintenance specialist. In his free time, he likes to draw, make bow ties from wood, take photographs and model out of paper.

In 2015, Anton married Alyona, a girl who shares his Christian views. Alyona is a professional violinist. The couple love to play board games, travel, go hiking.

Alyona really hopes that soon peace and tranquility will return to their home. They worry about Anton and his family, including those who do not share the Kuzhelkovs' religious beliefs. They are shocked by the unfair treatment of a respectable young man.

Case History

In December 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases against Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolay Prokhorov. They were merged into one proceeding on the same day. Law enforcement officers searched 19 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kirsanov, as well as Kuzhelkov’s actual residence in Lukhovitsy (Moscow Region). Nikolay was placed under a recognizance agreement. Anton was put in pretrial detention, where he remained for 431 days, after which he was released under a ban on certain actions. In September 2021, the case went to court; in December 2023 it was passed to a new judge for reconsideration. Proceedings against Prokhorov were discontinued in February 2025 due to his health condition. In May 2025, the court gave Kuzhelkov a 6.5-year suspended sentence.
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