Yuri Gerashchenko
Yuri Gerashchenko, born 1979, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich”. Sentence (October 3, 2024): 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since March 22, 2023; place of detention: Penal colony No. 12, Volgograd Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, July 19, 2023.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · NULL · Electricians · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony
First instance, July 1, 2024: 6 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, "acting intentionally ... committed active actions of an organisational nature.... expressed in the organisation of propaganda meetings at which texts and religious provisions of Jehovah's Witnesses were discussed".
Latest event
October 3, 2024 — appeal
The court changed the sentence to 6 years.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, July 19, 2023
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
sentence changed · 6 years
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Persecution begins
The case of Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich
Other defendants in the case
- Sergey Parfenovich — Imprisoned, 6 years
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 12, Volgograd Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
404103, Волгоградская область, г. Волжский, ул. Александрова, 86, ФКУ "ИК № 12 УФСИН России по Волгоградской области", Геращенко Юрий Петрович, 1979 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of the village of Krasnogvardeyskoye (Crimea), father of six children. He was detained on 22 March 2023. On 24 March, the court sent him under house arrest on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation. On 12 July Gerashchenko's preventive measure was replaced with a ban on certain actions, but on 28 July he was again sent to house arrest. In December 2023, Gerashchenko was again elected a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. On 1 July 2024, he was sentenced to six years' suspended sentence. On 3 October 2024, the appeal court commuted the suspended sentence to a real one.
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.