Vyacheslav Ivanov
Vyacheslav Ivanov, born 1970, Sakhalin Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk”. Sentence (January 30, 2022): two years' conditioned prison sentence. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, December 11, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, April 5, 2020.
In brief
Sakhalin Oblast · Nevelsk · Entrepreneurs · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
2 years
two years' conditioned prison sentence
Upheld November 7, 2022
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
conducted conversations with residents of a house in Nevelsk, "attempting to impose on them ideas preached by a religious association that had been liquidated by court order, in connection with extremist activities
Latest event
November 10, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, December 11, 2020
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, April 5, 2020
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Persecution ends
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 2 years
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Persecution ends
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Criminal case opened
Second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk
Criminal case
Second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk
Other defendants in the case
- Dmitry Kulakov — At large
Thematic group: The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk
Other defendants in the case
- Evgeny Yelin — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Alexander Kozlitin — At large, 2 years
- Sergey Kulakov — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Tatiana Kulakova — At large, 2 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nevelsk
Details and sources
Full summary
October 14th 2019, it became known that a case was opened against Ivanov for participation in the activities of an extremist organisation. On October 24th 2019, Ivanov was searched as a suspect in another similar case (in which Dmitry Kulakov is a suspect as well). On July 14th 2020, he signed a personal recognizance on his first case. On August 27th, the FSSB dropped the second case. On January 31st 2022, he was sentenced in his first case to two years' suspended sentence.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.