Dmitrii Dolzhikov
Dmitrii Dolzhikov, born 1978, Novosibirsk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “Dmitrii Dolzhikov's case of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation”. Sentence (June 30, 2023): 3 years of compulsory labour, 1 year of restriction of liberty. Status: location unknown. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner.
In brief
Novosibirsk Oblast · Novosibirsk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
3 years of compulsory labour, 1 year of restriction of liberty
Upheld September 21, 2023
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, "deliberately, out of extremist motives, took part in the activities of a religious association, in the form of participation in religious meetings and gatherings of an extremist organisation, holding talks, demonstrating and watching educational videos"
Latest event
October 24, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Novosibirsk Oblast
· Persecution begins
Dmitrii Dolzhikov's case of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation
Criminal case
Dmitrii Dolzhikov's case of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Chelyabinsk. In 2020, he became one of the defendants in a criminal case for his faith, which was initiated by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Novosibirsk Region. In May 2020, when he had already moved to another region, his case was separated into a proceeding of its own, which was subsequently repeatedly suspended and resumed. His new place of residence was searched in September 2022. Dolzhikov was interrogated and then taken back to Novosibirsk, where he was placed in a pre-trial detention centre for 2.5 months.
Since November 2022, the believer has been under house arrest. The court began to consider his case in December of the same year. In June 2023, the court sentenced the believer to 3 years of colony and 1 year of restriction of liberty, but the imprisonment was changed to forced labour. In September 2023, the appeal confirmed this decision.
On 1 August 2025, Dolzhikov was denied parole, but on 24 October the appeal court overturned this decision and ordered the believer to be released. He was released on the same day.
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.