Sergei Kuznetsov
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Ban on activity, Suspended prison sentence, Restriction of liberty
- Sentence
- 6 years
- Date of verdict
- 2023-04-18
- Region
- Stavropol Krai
- City
- Nevinnomyssk
Recognition by human rights organisations
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religionby Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, 11 December 2020
This is the assessment of the organisation named above, not ours. FACTUM reports it with attribution and does not make its own.
Case summary
In 1990, due to his deteriorating health, he moved with his family to Vladikavkaz, and afterwards to Neftekumsk. In 1996 he underwent another operation in Stavropol. Since 2006 he has been living in Nevinnomyssk, there his two daughters help to provide their father with proper care. Kuznetsov is a disabled person of the first group. Practically deprived of vision, he also has hearing problems and difficulty moving around. On 21 November 2018, a search was conducted at Kuznetsov's home. On 12 December 2019, a case was opened against him for organising the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of religious activities, such as holding meetings and worship services, and engaging new supporters. On 18 April 2023, Kuznetsov was sentenced to a six-year suspended sentence.
Others charged under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.