October 20, 2026, 10:55 AMRSSRU

Ilkhom Aminjanov

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Ilkhom Aminjanov, born 1972, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut”. Sentenced on December 5, 2023. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, May 30, 2019.

In brief

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug · Surgut · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses

Sentence

Suspended prison sentence

Verdict December 5, 2023

Upheld February 20, 2025

Charges

Full wording of the charges

delivered speeches, participated in preaching ministry with local "Jehovah's Witnesses", held meetings with "pioneers", "elders" and "office assistants", including for the purpose of organising the activities of "elders" in the "Vzletnoye" "assembly"

Latest event

February 20, 2025 — appeal

The court upheld the verdict.

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Appeal ruling

    upheld

  2. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict

  3. · Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion

    Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners

  4. · Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”

  5. · Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion

    Memorial Human Rights Centre

  6. · Persecution begins

    The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut

Criminal case

The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

No later than April 2019, it became known that Aminzhanov is a suspect in a case on the activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of religious activities - holding meetings and worship services, engaging new supporters. On 5 December 2023, Aminzhanov was sentenced to a suspended sentence, details are unknown.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Preventive measures
travel ban (written undertaking)
Sources (2)

Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

All 929 under this article →