Igor Balashov
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Region
- Ulyanovsk Oblast
- City
- Dimitrovgrad
Case summary
He is a resident of Dimitrovgrad (the Ulyanovsk region). On 3 February 2026, his home was searched. According to the website “Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal situation in Russia”, after the search, began at 6 a.m., he was taken to an FSB department for questioning, which began shortly before midnight. For nearly 20 hours, Balashov was not allowed to eat, drink or take necessary medication. At the time of the interrogation, his blood pressure rose sharply, half of his face became numb, and he began to tremble. Balashov was later placed under house arrest as part of a case of involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation, namely the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities – holding meetings and worship services, as well as attracting new supporters.
Others charged under Article 282.2 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.