Samvel Babaian
Samvel Babaian, born 1972, Samara Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “Samvel Babaian's case”. Sentence (October 17, 2025): 7 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since September 16, 2024; place of detention: Penal colony No. 10, Samara Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, September 30, 2024.
In brief
Samara Oblast · Samara · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
7 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony
Upheld January 21, 2026
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Latest event
January 21, 2026 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, September 30, 2024
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Samara Region
· Persecution begins
Samvel Babaian's case
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
Samvel Babaian's case
- Case number
- 1-376/2025
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 10, Samara Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
446394, пос. Волжский, ул. Заводская д. 46, Самарская область, Красноярский район, ФКУ «ИК № 10 УФСИН России по Самарской области», Бабаян Самвел Айказович, 1972 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Samara. On 16 September 2024, he was detained and sent to custody on 18 September on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation. The reason was Babaian's alleged involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: holding meetings and worship services, and attracting new supporters.
On the day of the arrest, a police officer threatened Babaian's 17-year-old son, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia portal. The teenager, along with his mother, was detained the same day and taken to the local department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs separately from his parents. The police officer stated that the teenager would receive a real sentence in a colony if he did not incriminate his relatives.
On 17 October 2025, Babaian was sentenced to seven years in a general regime colony, despite his serious illnesses.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.