Name: Martynov Andrey Vladimirovich
Date of Birth: August 4, 1964
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Current restrictions: suspended sentence
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 6 years with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious associations and organizations for a term of 4 years, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year, a sentence of imprisonment shall be considered suspended with a probationary period of 3 years

Biography

Knowledge from the Bible helped Andrey Martynov find the meaning of life and strengthen his marriage. However, in the fall of 2021, because of his love for this book and the desire to share the knowledge he gained, the believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.

Andrey was born in August 1964 in Barnaul (Altai Territory). He has a younger brother. When Andrey was 2 years old, the family moved to Kashira, Moscow region. Parents are already retired. As a child, Andrey attended various sections: he played football, boxing, went to parachute and car clubs.

When Andrey graduated from high school, the family moved to Kamchatka. Andrei went to work immediately after school and worked as a carpenter before being drafted into the army. After demobilization, he worked as a compressor driver, while studying at a driving school. Then he became a driver.

Andrey met his wife Nina while still living in Kamchatka. In 1991, they moved to the Moscow region, where they lived for 6 years, and in 1992 they registered their marriage. Together, the couple raised two daughters, one of them is disabled.

In the early 1990s, the Martynovs began to seriously study the Bible. Its simplicity and consistency impressed Andrey. The knowledge gained helped him find meaning in life. Nina was especially moved by the idea that the suffering of children is not a punishment for the guilt of the parents. In 1992, Andrey and Nina embarked on the Christian path together.

Living near Moscow, Andrey renovated apartments and worked for some time in the Moscow metro. In 1997, the Martynovs moved to the village of Pervomaiskiy (Chuvashia), where they have been living ever since. Over the past 25 years, the believer has worked as a driver and fireman in the boiler room of a village club. He also had to do the work of a cattleman — a cow, gobies, pigs, geese and chickens were kept in the household. Currently Andrey is taking care of the vegetable garden and the old village house, which requires maintenance and repair.

Faced with repression for his faith, Andrey tries to maintain a positive attitude. He shares: “From the moment of the search and interrogation, you are always in tension. Little pleasant, but if this is perceived as part of the Christian path in this world, then you understand that this is another opportunity to glorify our God Jehovah, and this sets us up for a positive. "

Case History

In June 2021, the FSB of Russia initiated a criminal case against unidentified persons, and a week later, a series of searches were carried out in Alatyr at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The family of Andrey Martynov was subjected to investigative actions twice (the first search took place in 2012). The law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, photographs, personal notes, drawings and other items, with inscriptions mentioning the name of God - Jehovah. In April 2022, Andrey and Nina Martynov, Mikhail Yermakov and Zoya Pavlova were charged: the men with organizing the activitiy of an extremist organization, and the women with involvement and participation in it. In July 2022, the case against the believers went to court, and in December of the same year, the court gave the women a fine of 350,000 rubles, and the men a 6-year suspended sentence. After 2 months, the verdict entered into force by the decision of the appellate instance.