Netreba Artur

Updated: April 16, 2024
Name: Netreba Artur Vyacheslavovich
Date of Birth: February 6, 1978
Current status: who has served the main sentence
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 2 day in a temporary detention facility, 330 day in a pre-trial detention
Sentence: penalty in the form of a fine in the amount of 300,000 rubles

Biography

On December 3, 2019, in Lipetsk, three civilians were imprisoned because of their religious views. One of them is Arthur Netreba. What do we know about this man?

Artur was born in 1978 in the city of Glodeni (Moldova) in a family of builders. Arthur is the middle child in the family, he has an older sister and a younger brother.

By profession, Arthur is a sugar production operator, part-time mechanic of the second category. In this position, he worked at a sugar factory for more than 10 years.

Artur knew his future wife Svetlana from school, and in 1995 they tied the knot. Soon their daughter Valeria was born. In Glodeni, Svetlana worked as a technologist and quality controller of tailoring at a garment factory. Later, the couple decided to move to Lipetsk in search of work. Here Arthur mastered the profession of a sales manager, Svetlana got a job as an administrator, Valeria also found a job after graduating from school.

One day, Arthur became interested in the Bible and realized that life takes on real meaning if you live according to the laws of God. At that time, Arthur could not have imagined that a spiritual quest would lead him to the dock on charges of a serious crime.

In connection with the criminal prosecution and imprisonment of Artur in a pre-trial detention center, financial difficulties began in the family, because he is the main breadwinner, and Svetlana cannot work for health reasons. The relatives of the spouses are very worried and perplexed how religion can cause a criminal case.

Case History

In December 2019, three peaceful residents from Lipetsk - Artur Netreba, Alexandr Kostrov and Viktor Bachurin - ended up behind bars, where they spent almost a year. The FSB investigator considered conducting “religious meetings”, resolving “issues of a religious nature” and “pastoral service” “a grave crime against the constitutional order.” The believers were accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In December 2020, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony and 8 months restriction of freedom for the believers. In November 2021, the court found them guilty and imposed a fine of 500 thousand rubles on all three, which was reduced to 300 thousand rubles, since the defendants spent almost a year in pre-trial detention. The court of appeal, and later the court of cassation, upheld this verdict.
Timeline