Updated: March 28, 2024
Name: Oganyan Sergey Rudikovich
Date of Birth: September 7, 1986
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Time spent in prison: 3 day in a temporary detention facility, 294 day Under house arrest

Biography

In June 2020, 33-year-old husband and father Sergey Oganyan was arrested and sent to prison for 3 days due to his religion.

Faith in God Jehovah came to Sergey's family in 1991. Six years later, Sergey took the Christian path. When he was drafted, he defended his right to alternative civil service, but was released for health reasons.

As a child, Sergey studied at an art school in Moscow, now as a hobby he paints and writes fiction. In 2016, his first book was published in Moscow. Sergey also plays the piano and in 2017 published a music album.

Sergey mainly works as a dental technician and gives lectures in this profession.

Sergey met his future wife, Catherine, at a literary evening with friends. She works as a hairdresser, makes jewelry as a hobby. The spouses are united by faith in God, love of travel and photography. Together they are fond of designing houses, making short films. They have a daughter who plays glucophone (percussion instrument), loves to dance, to draw and is fond of pyrography.

Although after 3 days of detention Sergey was released under house arrest, the criminal prosecution was a blow to his family and deprived him of the opportunity to work in his profession. Sergey's health deteriorated.

Although Sergey Ohanyan's father did not fully share his son's religious beliefs during all these years, what happened prompted him to pray for the young family.

Case History

In June 2020, searches were carried out in 5 homes of local Jehovah’s Witnesses in the village of Vlasikha. One of the believers, artist and writer Sergey Ohanyan, was detained. In May, investigator Yevgeny Dymchenko opened a criminal case against the believer under 3 articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: organization of the activities of an extremist organization, involvement of other persons in this activity and participation in it. Sergey spent 3 days behind bars, after which he was placed under house arrest, and 10 months later - on his own recognizance. In addition, Sergey had to undergo a psychiatric examination, during which he was pressured to be involuntarily hospitalized for refusing to answer questions about his attitude towards representatives of other religions. In October 2021, the investigation excluded Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the charges.