Alexander Kopylets
Alexander Kopylets, born 1977, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); Article 282.3 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Financing of extremist activities); “The case of four more Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea”. Status: under house arrest. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Simferopol · Construction workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Preventive measure: house arrest since August 15, 2023
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
- Article 282.3 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Financing of extremist activities
Full wording of the charges
As per the investigation, Alexander "has undertaken active organizational actions. These actions involve the orchestration of propaganda meetings, during which discussions were conducted on the texts and religious tenets of Jehovah's Witnesses."
Latest event
December 8, 2023 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Persecution begins
The case of four more Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea
Criminal case
The case of four more Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea
Other defendants in the case
- Alexander Voronchikhin — Location unknown
- Ekaterina Demidova — Location unknown
- Dmitry Zakharevich — Under house arrest
Thematic group: The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea
Details and sources
Full summary
In November 2022, mass searches of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in the Simferopol district of Crimea, and two of them became defendants in a criminal case.
In August 2023, new searches took place in Armyansk, Simferopol and Saki, including at the home of Kopylts, who also became a defendant in the case of involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation. He was placed under house arrest.
Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services, attracting new supporters.
On 11 December 2023, the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office. In May 2024, the case came back to court.
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.