Roman Makhnev
Roman Makhnev, born 1976, Kaluga Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga”. Sentence (March 13, 2026): 6 year 6 months' imprisonment in a general regime colony, 4 years' ban on engaging in activities related to management… Status: imprisoned. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, September 22, 2019.
In brief
Kaluga Oblast · Kaluga · Engineers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 6 months
6 year 6 months' imprisonment in a general regime colony, 4 years' ban on engaging in activities related to management and participation in the work of public religious organizations
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
Participated in organising the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
March 13, 2026 — first-instance verdict
The court delivered a guilty verdict: 6 years 6 months.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, September 22, 2019
Timeline
· 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 Kaluga Oblast
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· 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 Kaluga Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga
- Case number
- 1-135/2025 (1-1013/2024;)
Other defendants in the case
- Kuzin Dmitrii — Imprisoned, 6 years 6 months
- Eduard Petrushin — Imprisoned, 3 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga
Write a letter
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
248002, г. Калуга, ул. Николо-Козинская, д. 110А, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Калужской области, Махнев Роман Сергеевич, 1976 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On 26 June 2019, he was detained after a search and placed in custody on 29 June on charges of involvement in an extremist organisation. He claimed that during the search, the literature was planted that did not belong to him.
He also reported that at an FSB department he was handcuffed to a pipe and left in this position until morning, and did not receive food for three days, from 26 to 28 June. In addition, during the search, the FSB officers took his 15-year-old daughter outside barefoot in the rain. On 25 December, he was transferred to house arrest. On 20 February 2020, the court elected a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. On 13 March 2026, Makhnev was sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment in a general regime colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- pre-trial detention
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.