Evgenii Bushev
Evgenii Bushev, born 1973, Chelyabinsk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “Evgenii Bushev's case”. Sentence (April 25, 2024): 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since November 7, 2023; place of detention: Penal colony No. 11, Chelyabinsk Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, November 7, 2023.
In brief
Chelyabinsk Oblast · Chelyabinsk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony
First instance, November 7, 2023: 7 years
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, he "took deliberate active actions of an organisational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activities of a banned religious organisation".
Latest event
August 22, 2024 — imprisonment begins
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, November 7, 2023
Timeline
· Imprisonment begins
· Appeal ruling
sentence changed · 6 years
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Persecution begins
Evgenii Bushev's case
Criminal case
Evgenii Bushev's case
Thematic group: The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 11, Chelyabinsk Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
456656, Челябинская обл., г. Копейск, пос. Железнодорожный, ул. Электровозная, ФКУ «ИК № 11 ГУФСИН России по Челябинской области», Бушев Евгений Валерьевич, 1973 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Chelyabinsk. On 8 September 2022, when he was visiting a friend, the friend's house was searched. Bushev was taken to his home and searched there. The next day, he was given a recognisance not to leave in a case of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with 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, apparently, the charge was reclassified to organising such activities.
On 7 November 2023, Bushev was sentenced to seven years in a general regime penal colony. On 25 April 2024, the court of appeal reduced the sentence by one year.
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.