Igor Egozarian
Igor Egozarian, born 1965, Volgograd 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 Volgograd”. Sentence (September 22, 2021): 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, 1 year’s of restriction of liberty, a 4-year prohibition on… Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020.
In brief
Volgograd Oblast · Volgograd · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, 1 year’s of restriction of liberty, a 4-year prohibition on engaging in activities related to the leadership and participation in the work of public religious organisations
Upheld January 18, 2023
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
He participated in organising the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
December 5, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Imprisonment begins
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Volgograd Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd
Other defendants in the case
- Sergei Melnik — At large with restrictions, 6 years
- Vyacheslav Osipov — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Denis Peresunko — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Valeriy Rogozin — At large with restrictions, 6 years 5 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd
Details and sources
Full summary
He was detained on 16 May 2019 and taken into custody by court order on 19 May on charges of 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 26 December, a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions was chosen. On 10 December 2020, the court did not extend the ban to leave the house from 22:00 to 6:00.
23 September 2021 sentenced to six years of general regime penal colony, taken into custody in the courtroom. On 1 October it became known that Egozaryan was sent to the penal colony pending appeal. Later it was reported that he was in the pre-trial detention centre, not in the penal colony. Then he was still escorted to the penal colony. On 5 December 2025 Egozaryan was released.
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.