Anatoly Lee
Anatoly Lee, born 1985, Primorsky Krai. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yaroslavskyi”. Sentence (October 3, 2024): 6 years and 5 months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime penal colony, prohibition to engage in activities… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since October 13, 2022; place of detention: Penal colony No. 14, Khabarovsk Krai. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Primorsky Krai · NULL · Teachers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 5 months
6 years and 5 months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime penal colony, prohibition to engage in activities related to the leadership and participation in the work of public religious organisations for a period of 3 years, and 1 year of restriction of liberty
First instance, July 10, 2024: 6 years 6 months
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
participated in the activities of an organisation recognised as extremist by the Russian authorities
Latest event
October 3, 2024 — appeal
The court changed the sentence to 6 years 5 months.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
sentence changed · 6 years 5 months
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years 6 months
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yaroslavskyi
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №2 (SIZO-2) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Primorsky Krai
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yaroslavskyi
- Case number
- 1-183/2023
Other defendants in the case
- Boris Andreev — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Natalia Sharapova — At large with restrictions, 2 years 11 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yaroslavsky
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 14, Khabarovsk Krai
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
682640,Хабаровский край, г. Амурск, шоссе Машиностроителей д.10, ФКУ «ИК № 14 УФСИН России по Хабаровскому краю», Ли Анатолий Юрьевич, 1985 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
He was born in the Gagarin town (Uzbekistan) in 1985. When he was 9 years old, he moved to Ussuriysk (Primorsky Krai) with his older brother and his mother, who was raising her sons alone. He studied at a pedagogical institute as a teacher of English and Korean languages and worked as a tutor before the criminal prosecution, constantly improving his qualifications. In addition, during his life, he managed to work as a janitor, a telephone repairman, and a logistician in a Canadian trading firm.
On 13 October 2022, Lee was taken into custody on charges of organising and participating in the activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, and attracting new supporters.
On 10 July 2024, he was sentenced to six and a half years in a general regime colony. On 3 October 2024, the court of appeals reduced the sentence by one month.
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.