Sergey Melnikov
Sergey Melnikov, born 1973, Primorsky Krai. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Sergei Melnikov”. Sentence (February 2, 2022): three years' suspended imprisonment. Status: at large. 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
Primorsky Krai · Ussuriysk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
3 years
three years' suspended imprisonment
Upheld December 13, 2022
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
from 8 April to 5 June 2018 in Ussuriysk he 'carried out actions to organise the recruitment' of new followers of Jehovah's Witnesses
Latest event
July 9, 2025 — removed from the rosfinmonitoring list
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
· Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list
· Persecution ends
· Imprisonment ends
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· 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
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
The case of Sergei Melnikov
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №2 (SIZO-2) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Primorsky Krai
Criminal case
The case of Sergei Melnikov
Details and sources
Full summary
On 5 June 2019, he was detained in his own car while talking to a man who, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, was "leading him into conversations about faith". Melnikov's home was searched. The court sent him to custody. On 4 October he was transferred to house arrest. Initially he was accused of organising the activities of an extremist organisation but in February 2020 the charge was reclassified to participation in the activities of an extremist organisation. At the same time Melnikov was released from house arrest on his own recognisance. In March, it became known that the prosecutor's office returned the case for further investigation. On 3 February 2022, he 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.