Dennis Ole Christensen
Dennis Ole Christensen, born 1972, Oryol Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The Dennis Christensen case”. Sentence (June 22, 2020): replace the unexecuted part of the term of imprisonment with a fine of 400,000 roubles. Status: not in Russia. Recognition: Amnesty International — recognised as a prisoner of conscience, February 4, 2019; Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, August 6, 2017.
In brief
Oryol Oblast · Oryol · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
replace the unexecuted part of the term of imprisonment with a fine of 400,000 roubles
First instance, February 5, 2019: 6 years
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
Organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Orel
Latest event
May 24, 2022 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a prisoner of conscience — Amnesty International, February 4, 2019
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, August 6, 2017
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, July 18, 2017
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Persecution ends
· First-instance verdict
sentence changed
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Recognised as a prisoner of conscience
Amnesty International
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· 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 the Oryol Oblast
· Persecution begins
The Dennis Christensen case
Criminal case
The Dennis Christensen case
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Orel
Details and sources
Full summary
He was detained on 25 May 2017, then arrested on charges of organising the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community in Orel, which is banned as an extremist organisation. On 6 February 2019, he was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony.
On 23 July 2020, the court replaced the unserved part of the sentence with a fine of 400 thousand rubles. However, already after that, Christensen was placed in the colony’s punishment cell. On 4 September, the court of appeals overturned the decision to replace part of the sentence with a fine. On 26 October, the court of first instance again refused to replace the unserved part of the sentence with a fine and decided to keep Christensen in the colony.
On 24 May 2022, Christensen was released, after which he was deported to Denmark.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Denmark
Sources (3)
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.