Leonid Druzhinin
Leonid Druzhinin, born 1969, 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 six months' imprisonment in a general regime penal 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 · Entrepreneurs · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 6 months
Six years six months' imprisonment in a general regime penal 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 6 months
· 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
- Evgeny Bitusov — Imprisoned, 6 years
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», Дружинин Леонид Иванович, 1969 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of the Amur region, Druzhinin’s home was searched on 21 March 2019. A second search took place on 13 October 2020, prior to which he was detained and interrogated. On 1 June 2021, he was charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his involvement in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community.
Members of this community have been prosecuted under extremist legislation solely for practising their faith — holding meetings, conducting worship services, and sharing their beliefs with others.
On 8 October, the charge against Druzhinin was reclassified as organising the activities of an extremist organisation. On 28 December 2022, he was sentenced to six and a half years’ imprisonment in a general-regime penal 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.