Name: Perefileva Irina Aleksandrovna
Date of Birth: March 30, 1965
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Current restrictions: suspended sentence
Sentence: punishment in the form of 5 years 6 months of imprisonment, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year 8 months, punishment in the form of imprisonment shall be considered conditional with a probationary period of 2 years 6 months

Biography

The mother of two sons, caring for her elderly mother, Irina Perefileva, for many years combined caring for the family with the work of a janitor. In 2021, she was under investigation for her peaceful religious beliefs - she was suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.

Irina was born in March 1965 in the city of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Region. Her father worked as a miner, and her mother worked in the trade. Irina has an elder brother. When she was 9 years old, the family moved to the village of Mednogorsky (Karachay-Cherkessia).

After graduating from a technical school with a degree in road construction, Irina worked by profession in the city of Valuiki, Belgorod Region. Later, she had to change her occupation to take care of her disabled son. For more than 20 years she has been working as a janitor. In her free time, she is engaged in sewing.

In the early 2000s, experiencing personal difficulties and inner emptiness, Irina began to look for answers to important life questions. In 2003, she made the decision to follow Bible principles, finding comfort and support in the Scriptures.

"By accepting the views for which I am being judged, I got rid of foul language, irascibility and touchiness," Irina said in court. "Instead, I began to develop patience and self-control."

In 2023, the court found Irina guilty and sentenced her to 5.5 years of probation. According to her, against the background of stress due to criminal prosecution, her health deteriorated.

Case History

In January 2021, in the village of Mednogorskiy, FSB officers conducted inspections in the apartments of local believers, including Irina Perefileva’s. In November 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. The next day, her apartment was searched. In the same month, Perefileva was also charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In November 2022, the case went to court. The key witness for the prosecution stated that she herself asked Irina to discuss the Bible with her. At the same time, she said that she had not heard any calls for any illegal activity from the believer. In August 2023, the judge gave Irina Perefileva a 5.5-year suspended sentence.
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