Taras Kuzo
Taras Kuzo, born 1978, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code (Financing extremist activities); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yalta”. Sentence (February 27, 2023): Six years six months' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, May 30, 2019.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Yalta · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 6 months
Six years six months' imprisonment in a general regime colony
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Financing extremist activities
Full wording of the charges
involved in the financing of an extremist organisation
Latest event
March 22, 2024 — preventive measure: ban on certain activities
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, May 30, 2019
Timeline
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years 6 months
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yalta
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yalta
Other defendants in the case
- Pyotr Zhiltsov — At large, 6 years 1 month
- Daria Kuzo — At large, 3 years
- Sergey Lyulin — At large, 6 years 1 month
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yalta
Details and sources
Full summary
In April 2019, it was reported that Kuzio was a suspect in a case related to the activities of an extremist organisation. Apparently, this information was not confirmed, however, on February 13, 2020, a search was conducted at his place. On March 11, 2021, Kuzio was searched again. The following day, the court ordered him to be placed under house arrest for allegedly financing an extremist organisation. On July 11, 2022, the measure of restriction was changed to a ban on certain actions. On February 27, 2023 sentenced to six and a half years in a general regime colony. On March 22, the appeals court overturned the sentence and returned the case to the court of еру first instance. Kuzio's measure of restriction was replaced with a ban on certain actions.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- ban on certain activities
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.