128 more Jehovah's Witnesses are political prisoners or victims of politically motivated prosecutions

Memorial Human Rights Centre has recognized a further 37 Jehovah's Witnesses as political prisoners, of whom 17 are in custody and 20 under house arrest.

We have recognized a further 91 believers as victims of politically motivated prosecutions. These individuals are defendants in criminal cases, but have been given bail.

Most of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Article 282.2, Part 1, of the Russian Criminal Code), participation in such an organization (Article 282.2, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code) or involving others in such activities (Article 282.2, Part 1.1, of the Russian Criminal Code). Some have also been charged with financing extremist activities (Article 282.3, Part 1, of the Russian Criminal Code).

General Statistics

Altogether in our list of political prisoners there are a total of 88 Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned on charges related solely to their religious affiliation. Fifty-four of them are in custody and 34 are under house arrest. Of those in custody, 29 await the outcome of their trials in pre-trial detention and 25 have been sentenced to terms ranging from two to eight years.

Eighty-one Jehovah’s Witnesses have been given suspended sentences and at least 347 others are being prosecuted but are not in custody at the pre-trial or trial stages.

Moreover, according to our information, there are currently:

• Fifteen Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been sentenced to fines;

• Thirteen have already served their sentences, of whom two were deprived of their Russian citizenship while serving their sentence and have been deported;

• Criminal charges against six others have been dropped;

• A further five Jehovah’s Witnesses have died.

Altogether, at least 555 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been prosecuted during the large-scale campaign of criminal prosecutions against adherents of the faith that began in April 2017. The number continues to grow.

A regularly updated list of those prosecuted is available on our website.

We consider the designation of Jehovah’s Witness organizations as extremist to be groundless and in violation of the rights to freedom of conscience and association. The criminal prosecution of the followers of this peaceful religion is unlawful and discriminatory.

We demand the immediate release of Jehovah’s Witnesses who are in custody or under house arrest and an end to the criminal prosecution of all members of this faith.

The list of those prosecuted (which can also be found on our website) is as follows:

17 new defendants who are in custody:

1. Adestov Roman 

2. Deshko Vladimir

3. Filatov Aleksandr 

4. Isakov Anatoly 

5. Kupriyanov Aleksei 

6. Kuzhelkov Anton 

7. Lubin Aleksandr 

8. Melnik Vladimir 

9. Piskaryov Vladimir

10. Putintsev Artur 

11. Serebryakov Aleksandr

12. Siyukhov Inver

13. Skudayev Sergei

14. Suvorov Danil

15. Temirbulatov Yury 

16. Usanov Yury 

17. Velizhanina Tatyana 

20 new defendants who remain under house arrest:

1. Ananin Sergei 

2. Chaikovsky Ivan

3. Chernyshev Yury 

4. Derendyayev Maksim 

5. Dubovenko Aleksandr 

6. Kazakov Sergei 

7. Komarov Vitaly 

8. Kretov Sergei

9. Litvinyuk Aleksandr

10. Loginsky Yury

11. Merkulov Denis 

12. Moskalyov Yury 

13. Reshetnikov Yevgeny 

14. Safronova Anna 

15. Shatalov Sergei 

16. Simonenko Boris 

17. Urazbakhtin Ildar

18. Yagovitov Boris 

19. Zakaryan Vardan 

20. Zhiltsov Pyotr

91 believers who are on bail:

1. Anufriev Nikolai 

2. Ashikhmin Sergei 

3. Balabkin Vladimir 

4. Bitusov Yevgeny 

5. Chesnokov Vladimir

6. Danielyan Andrei  

7. Degtyarenko Ilya 

8. Dominova Aksana 

9. Druzhinin Leonid

10. Dubovkina Svetlana 

11. Dutkin Vladimir 

12. Filiznov Pyotr 

13. Gobozev Sergei 

14. Godunov Yevgeny 

15. Golik Kristina 

16. Gushchin Kirill 

17. Gushchina Svetlana 

18. Ilyasova Yunona 

19. Kazadayev Pavel 

20. Ketov Aleksandr 

21. Kharlamov Andrei 

22. Khmil Valery 

23. Kobelev Sergei 

24. Kobeleva Galina 

25. Kochneva Nataliya

26. Kolesnichenko Andrei 

27. Kostenko Aleksandr 

28. Kruglyakov Aleksandr 

29. Krupnov Pyotr 

30. Krupnova Maya 

31. Kutin Aleksandr 

32. Kuzio Daria 

33. Kuznetsov Aleksandr 

34. Kuznetsov Sergei 

35. Kuznetsova Maria 

36. Labadze Gurami 

37. Ledyaikin Andrei 

38. Manzyrykchi Vitaly 

39. Meleshko Vasily 

40. Menchikova Yelena 

41. Merinkov Eduard 

42. Minsafin Valery  

43. Mirgorodskaya Olga  

44. Mironchik Igor 

45. Morlang Tatyana 

46. Naumenko Sergei  

47. Nekrasova Lidiya 

48. Nikolayev Aleksandr 

49. Ogorodov Pavel

50. Olshevskaya Yekaterina 

51. Ortanova Zareta  

52. Pechko Galina 

53. Perekaty Nataliya 

54. Peresunko Denis 

55. Ponomarenko Yury

56. Ponomaryova Olga 

57. Popkova Yuliya 

58. Popov Pavel 

59. Popras Aleksandr 

60. Portnaygina Maria 

61. Potapov Mikhail 

62. Prilepsky Aleksandr  

63. Prokhorov Nikolai 

64. Putivskaya Anzhela 

65. Redozubov Yury 

66. Reshetnikov Mikhail 

67. Salmanov Nikolai 

68. Savelieva Elena 

69. Senin Anatoly 

70. Shchanikov Viktor 

71. Shulgina Olga  

72. Shutov Aleksandr 

73. Starikov Aleksandr 

74. Sushilnikov Sergei 

75. Syrykh Vitaly 

76. Tsikunov Aleksandr 

77. Ushakhin Sergei

78. Vorontsov Aleksandr 

79. Vyrezkova Svetlana 

80. Vyushin Andrei

81. Yakovlev Valery 

82. Yefremova Svetlana 

83. Yeliseyev Aleksei 

84. Yermak Anna 

85. Yermilova Valentina 

86. Yershov Aleksei 

87. Yershov Ilya 

88. Zabora Sergei 

89. Zhivolupov Roman 

90. Zinich Yevgeny 

91. Zotov Konstantin