Pavel Lekontsev
Pavel Lekontsev, born 1981, Orenburg Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of five Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg”. Sentence (August 28, 2023): 3 years' suspended prison sentence with a probation period of 2 years and 6 months, 10 months' restriction of liberty. 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
Orenburg Oblast · Orenburg · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
3 years
suspended prison sentence with a probation period of 2 years and 6 months, 10 months' restriction of liberty
Upheld January 24, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
participated in the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
July 23, 2026 — imprisonment ends
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
· Imprisonment ends
· Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· 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 five Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
Criminal case
The case of five Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg
Other defendants in the case
- Nikolay Zhugin — At large, 2 years 6 months
- Vladislav Kolbanov — At large, 3 years 6 months
- Vladimir Kochnev — At large, 2 years 6 months
- Sergey Logunov — At large, 2 years 6 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg
Details and sources
Full summary
On 16th of May 2018, Lekontsev's home was searched in a case on the activities of an extremist organisation. Lekontsev signed a written pledge not to leave the area.
On 14th of January 2020, the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office, but later it went back to court. On 28th of August 2023, Lekontsev was sentenced to three years' suspended sentence.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.