Roman Baranovskiy
Roman Baranovskiy, born 1974, Khakassia. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abakan”. Sentence (February 23, 2021): Six years' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to hold managerial positions… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since February 24, 2021; place of detention: Penal colony No. 3, Zabaykalsky Krai. 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
Khakassia · Abakan · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
Six years' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to hold managerial positions for five years
Upheld May 23, 2021
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
organised the activities of the banned local religious organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses "Yuzhnaya, Abakan": convened meetings in his house, organised preaching activities and distributed financial resources
Latest event
August 31, 2021 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, May 30, 2019
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Imprisonment begins
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Khakassia
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abakan
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abakan
Other defendants in the case
- Valentina Baranovskaya — At large, 2 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abakan
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 3, Zabaykalsky Krai
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
672042, Забайкальский край, г. Чита, ул. Угданский проезд, 61, ФКУ «ИК № 3 УФСИН России по Забайкальскому краю», Барановский Роман Любомирович, 1974 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On 10 April 2019 he was detained after searches on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, attracting new supporters. Later he was released under an obligation to appear.
In April 2020, the prosecutor's office sent the case back for further investigation.
On 24 February 2021, he was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony.
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.