Sergei Korolev
Sergei Korolev, born 1973, Astrakhan Oblast. 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 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Akhtubinsk”. Sentence (April 17, 2023): 7 years’ imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, a ban on engaging in activities related to leading or… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since November 9, 2021; place of detention: Penal colony No. 3, Tambov Oblast. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, November 23, 2021.
In brief
Astrakhan Oblast · Akhtubinsk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
7 years
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, a ban on engaging in activities related to leading or participating in the work of public organisations for a period of 3 years and 1 year’s restriction of freedom
Upheld March 18, 2024
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
According to the investigation, he “organised meetings… including through the use of videoconferencing… namely in the form of a collective religious service consisting of public performance of audio and video recordings… successive performances of songs from a special collection of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ religious teachings and prayers to the God Jehovah”.
Latest event
March 18, 2024 — cassation
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, November 23, 2021
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· 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
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Astrakhan Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Akhtubinsk
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Akhtubinsk
- Case number
- 1-9/2023 (1-342/2022;)
Other defendants in the case
- Rinat Kiramov — Imprisoned, 7 years
- Sergey Kosyanenko — Imprisoned, 7 years
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 3, Tambov Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
393265, Тамбовская область, Рассказовский район, п. Зеленый, ул. Центральная, д.6, ФКУ «ИК № 3 УФСИН России по Тамбовской области», Королев Сергей Васильевич, 1973 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On 9 November 2021, he was detained after a search. The next day, the court ordered that he be taken into custody on charges of organising the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his involvement in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for their religious activities: meetings, joint worship services and attracting new supporters. In August 2022, Kovalev was also charged with financing extremist activities. On 17 April 2023, he was sentenced to seven years in a general regime penal colony.
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.