Anatoly Isakov
Anatoly Isakov, born 1964, Kurgan 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 Kurgan”. Sentence (August 8, 2024): 500 thousand rubles, to be reduced to 400 thousand rubles, taking into account the stay in custody. Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, August 11, 2021.
In brief
Kurgan Oblast · Kurgan · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
500 thousand rubles, to be reduced to 400 thousand rubles, taking into account the stay in custody
Upheld November 14, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
conducted religious meetings, also through videoconferencing using the Zoom platform
Latest event
February 5, 2026 — removed from the rosfinmonitoring list
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, August 11, 2021
Timeline
· Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list
· Persecution ends
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kurgan
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kurgan
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kurgan
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Kurgan. On July 14, 2021, Isakov's home was searched, and he was arrested. The next day the court decided to place him in custody as part of the case on activities of an extremist organisation, despite his Group II disability. The charge relates to 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.
Isakov was diagnosed with a blood cancer, multiple compression fractures of the spine, ribs and other diseases. Because he was behind bars, his chemotherapy course was interrupted. Also, the believer was deprived of vital potent medication, which caused Anatoly to experience intolerable pain. He cannot move around without a cane. Before the criminal prosecution, the believer needed hospitalisation on average 6 times a year. The situation was complicated by the fact that in the pre-trial detention centre Anatoly Isakov was infected with COVID-19. On August 28, after the defence filed a complaint with the ECHR, he was given a preventive measure in the form of prohibition of certain actions.
On August 8, 2024, Isakov was sentenced to a fine of 500 thousand rubles, which was reduced to 400 thousand rubles, taking into account his stay in custody.
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.