Sergei Filatov
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Imprisonment (general regime)
- Sentence
- 6 years
- Date of verdict
- 2020-03-04
- Region
- Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea
- City
- Dzhankoy
Case summary
On the night of 16 November 2018, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Dzhankoi. Sergei Filatov, who headed the local Jehovah's Witnesses religious organisation "Sivash", which was liquidated in 2017, was subsequently questioned. Banned literature was found at his home. It later became known that Filatov was suspected of organising the activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist legislation solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, and attracting new supporters. He was placed under recognisance not to leave.
On 5 March 2020, he was sentenced to 6 years in a general regime penal colony. He was released on 21 January 2026.
Others charged under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
What we write about political persecution
Recent material from this section. This is section navigation — the articles below are not about this person.
- 2026-09-04Georgia court clears extradition of Fugal ally to Russia
- 2026-09-04Russia labels Novaya Gazeta a 'foreign agent,' adds over 100 affiliated names
- 2026-09-04Russian court sentences hostage-takers from Rostov detention center to up to 29 years
- 2026-09-04Two Yabloko Duma candidates detained in Moscow two days before vote
- 2026-09-03British man says Russian police beat him, jumped on his head at station in Yessentuki
Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.