Aleksei Gorelyi
Aleksei Gorelyi, born 1980, Rostov 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 Gukovo”. Sentence (September 19, 2022): 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony, one year of restricted freedom, and a 5-year… Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Rostov Oblast · Gukovo · Financiers and accountants · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 6 months
6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony, one year of restricted freedom, and a 5-year prohibition on engaging in organisational activities within public and religious associations and organisations.
Upheld July 25, 2023
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
November 14, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Imprisonment begins
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years 6 months
· 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 the Rostov Region
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Gukovo
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Gukovo
Other defendants in the case
- Alexey Dyadkin — At large, 7 years
- Nikita Moiseev — At large with restrictions, 7 years
- Vladimir Popov — At large with restrictions, 7 years
- Evgeny Razumov — At large with restrictions, 7 years
- Oleg Shidlovskiy — At large, 6 years 6 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Gukovo
Details and sources
Full summary
Detained in August 2020, taken into custody on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation in connection with 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 19 September 2022 he was sentenced to six and a half years in a general regime colony. On 14 November 2025, Gorelyi 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.