Valerii Bailo
Valerii Bailo, born 1957, Krasnodar Krai. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “Valerii Bailo's case”. Sentence (July 3, 2024): 2 years 6 months' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. Status: deceased. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Krasnodar Krai · NULL · Pensioners · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
2 years 6 months
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Latest event
April 22, 2025 — persecution ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Persecution ends
· Preventive measure: temporary stay in hospital
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 2 years 6 months
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №3 (SIZO-3) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Krai
· Persecution begins
Valerii Bailo's case
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
Valerii Bailo's case
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of the Krasnodar region. 2 April 2024 was detained after a search. On 4 April, the court sent him into custody 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, and attracting new supporters. On 3 July 2024 Bailo was sentenced to two and a half years in a general regime penal colony. On 22 March 2025, it became known that Bailo died in the pre-trial detention centre. On 22 April 2025, the court of appeal overturned the sentence and dismissed the case, despite the objections of Bailo's son, who demanded posthumous rehabilitation of his father.
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.