Artem Bagratyan
Artem Bagratyan, born 1972, Kursk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk”. Sentence (June 2, 2021): Two years six months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony. Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, April 5, 2020.
In brief
Kursk Oblast · Kursk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
2 years 6 months
Two years six months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony
Upheld January 11, 2023
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
studied Jehovah's Witnesses materials with new followers of the doctrine, "propagandising the superiority of these ideas over other religious teachings, as well as distributing materials with extremist content"
Latest event
January 11, 2023 — cassation
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, April 5, 2020
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
guilty verdict, upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 2 years 6 months
· Persecution ends
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Kursk Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk
Other defendants in the case
- Andrei Andreev — At large, 4 years 6 months
- Alevtina Bagratyan — At large, 2 years
- Vospitaniuk Aleksandr Sergeevich — At large, 2 years
- Andrey Ryshkov — At large, 3 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk
Details and sources
Full summary
On 16 October 2019, Bagratyan and his wife were searched at home and charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organisation. On 18 October, the court decided to give him custody. On 27 January 2020, he was transferred from pre-trial detention centre to hospital (Bagratyan suffers from diabetes and hypertension).
On 3 June 2021 he was sentenced to two and a half years in a general regime colony. On 15 June he was released.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.