Evgeny Bitusov
Evgeny Bitusov, born 1979, Amur Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya”. Sentence (December 27, 2022): six years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since December 28, 2022; place of detention: Penal colony No. 14, Khabarovsk Krai. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, December 27, 2022.
In brief
Amur Oblast · Zeya · Electricians · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
six years' imprisonment in a general regime colony
Upheld March 18, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
Participated in organising the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
March 18, 2024 — cassation
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, December 27, 2022
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Imprisonment begins
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya
Other defendants in the case
- Leonid Druzhinin — Imprisoned, 6 years 6 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 14, Khabarovsk Krai
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
682640,Хабаровский край, г. Амурск, шоссе Машиностроителей д.10, ФКУ «ИК № 14 УФСИН России по Хабаровскому краю», Битусов Евгений Владимирович, 1979 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On 21 March 2019, Bitusov's home was searched. The search was then conducted on 13 October 2020. On 1 June 2021, he was charged with 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. On 8 October the charge was reclassified to organising activities. On 28 December 2022 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.