Denis Merkulov
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Fine
- Date of verdict
- 2023-03-23
- Region
- Murmansk Oblast
- City
- Apatity
Recognition by human rights organisations
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religionby Memorial Human Rights Centre, 16 September 2021
This is the assessment of the organisation named above, not ours. FACTUM reports it with attribution and does not make its own.
Case summary
On 21 July 2021, Merkulov's home was searched. The next day, he was interrogated and detained. On 24 July, the court placed Merkulov under house arrest on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation. On 17 September, the court ruled to adopt a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. On 23 March 2023, Merkulov was sentenced to a fine of 500 thousand rubles (US$5,500). On 18 July, the appellate court reduced the fine by 100 thousand.
Others charged under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
What we write about political persecution
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.