Timur Rzaev
Timur Rzaev, Saint Petersburg. Charges: Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Public insult of religious feelings); Article 282 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Incitement of hatred or enmity (with violence, using official position, or by a group)); “The case concerning the removal of the Easter decorations”. Status: location unknown.
In brief
Saint Petersburg · Saint Petersburg · Defence attorneys, Lawyers · Extremism cases
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Charges
- Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Public insult of religious feelings
- Article 282 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Incitement of hatred or enmity (with violence, using official position, or by a group)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, "knowing full well that in the period from 3.03.2025 to 19.04.2025 on the territory of the Russian Federation is celebrated one of the main Orthodox holidays "Great Lent before Easter" <...> acting deliberately, together with other unidentified persons, having the intention to offend the religious feelings of believers, carried out the tearing down of Easter paraphernalia". The resolution to initiate a criminal case against him also states that an Orthodox icon was also thrown on the floor, accompanied by threats of violence.
Latest event
April 18, 2025 — persecution begins
The case concerning the removal of the Easter decorations
Criminal case
The case concerning the removal of the Easter decorations
Other defendants in the case
- Unknown male 320 — Location unknown
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of St. Petersburg, lawyer. On 18 April 2025, he was detained at the railway station as part of a case of insulting the feelings of believers and incitement to hatred. The reason was a video shot in the residential complex Rich Art Club 3 in the Primorsky district of St. Petersburg: on it the lawyer together with another person take pictures of Easter decorations hung in the entranceway. According to the author of the video Dmitry Levenets, who lives in the house, Rzaev "threw the icon", and took the table with the willow tree and the lamp standing on it. At the same time, the recording, shot by Levenets himself, shows that the lawyer does not throw the icon, but picks it up from the table, holds it out to the cameraman and offers to take it away, and without receiving a response, puts it on the bottom shelf of the table. The lawyer told the publication "Fontanka" that he represents the interests of the tenants of this house and has an agreement to provide legal assistance in the field of housing law. "On 13 April 2025, my principal approached me with a request to deal with the situation of illegal decoration of the house, and I took measures to bring the appearance of the house in accordance with the law," the lawyer said. He explained that the decoration of the house must be agreed with all residents.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.