Valerii Kriger
Valerii Kriger, born 1968, Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code (Financing extremist activities); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan”. Sentence (March 27, 2024): 6 years 9 months' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since December 19, 2022; place of detention: Penal colony No. 8, Amur Oblast. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 2, 2019; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 2, 2019.
In brief
Jewish Autonomous Oblast · Birobidzhan · Service workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 9 months
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony
First instance, December 14, 2020: 7 years
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
- Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Financing extremist activities
Full wording of the charges
Participated in the organisation of the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community, banned as an extremist organisation
Latest event
March 27, 2024 — cassation
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 2, 2019
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, January 2, 2019
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Imprisonment begins
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
- Case number
- 1-8/2022 (1-65/2021; 1-609/2020;)
Other defendants in the case
- Alam Aliyev — Imprisoned, 6 years 6 months
- Dmitrii Zagulin — At large, 3 years 6 months
- Sergey Shulyarenko — Imprisoned, 6 years 9 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 8, Amur Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
675010, Амурская область, г.Благовещенск, ул. Албазинская, 45, ФКУ «ИК № 8 УФСИН России по Амурской области», Кригер Валерий Сергеевич, 1968 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Birobidzhan. A case of organising activities of an extremist organisation was initiated against him due to his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, and attracting new followers. On 29 June 2018, Kriger was forced to sign the recognisance not to leave. On 19 December 2022, 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.