Irina Buglak
Irina Buglak, born 1975, Primorsky Krai. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Partizansk”. Sentence (June 6, 2023): 2 years 6 months' suspended imprisonment. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, May 30, 2019.
In brief
Primorsky Krai · Partizansk · Journalists · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
2 years 6 months
suspended imprisonment
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
convened and held meetings and thus continued the activities of the liquidated local religious organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses of Partizansk
Latest event
January 27, 2026 — removed from the rosfinmonitoring list
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, May 30, 2019
Timeline
· Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list
· Persecution ends
· Imprisonment ends
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 2 years 6 months
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №4 (SIZO-4) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Krai
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Partizansk
Criminal case
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Partizansk (Primorsky Krai). On 19 April 2019, she was detained after a search and taken into custody the next day on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation due to her involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services and attracting new supporters. On 16 October, Buglak was transferred to house arrest. On 31 January 2020, the court released Buglak on her own recognisance during preliminary hearings in the case. On 30 November, the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office. On 6 June 2023, Buglak was reclassified from organisation to participation and sentenced to a two and a half year suspended sentence.
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.