Anatoly Gezik
- Criminal Code
- Article 156, Russian Criminal CodeArticle 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal CodeArticle 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Suspended prison sentence
- Sentence
- 4 years 2 months
- Date of verdict
- 2022-11-13
- Region
- Stavropol Krai
- City
- Georgiyevsk
Recognition by human rights organisations
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religionby Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, 11 December 2020
This is the assessment of the organisation named above, not ours. FACTUM reports it with attribution and does not make its own.
Case summary
On 23 October 2019, a search took place at Gezik's home. On 30 December, it became known that a case was opened against Gezik and his wife for involvement in activities of an extremist organisation. They were also accused of inducement to participate in such an organisation and of failing to perform the duties of bringing up a minor, as well as of financing extremist activities, but this charge was later dropped. In May 2021, the investigation in the case was suspended, but later resumed. On 14 November 2022, he was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months of forced labour. On 1 March 2023, the appeal court replaced the forced labour with a suspended sentence.
Others charged under Article 156, Russian Criminal Code
What we write about political persecution
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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.