October 20, 2026, 6:33 PMRSSRU

Artur Netreba

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Artur Netreba, born 1978, Lipetsk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lipetsk”. Sentence (November 24, 2021): 500,000 roubles fine, to be reduced to 300,000 roubles, taking into account the period spent in custody. Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, April 5, 2020.

In brief

Lipetsk Oblast · Lipetsk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses

Sentence

500,000 roubles fine, to be reduced to 300,000 roubles, taking into account the period spent in custody

Verdict November 24, 2021

Upheld February 15, 2023

Charges

Full wording of the charges

he participated in the activities of an extremist organisation

Latest event

February 16, 2023 — persecution ends

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Persecution ends

  2. · Cassation ruling

    upheld

  3. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict

  4. · Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)

  5. · Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion

    Memorial Human Rights Centre

  6. · Preventive measure: pre-trial detention

    Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Lipetsk Oblast

Criminal case

The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lipetsk

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lipetsk

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

On 2 December 2019, he was detained at the house of an acquaintance: a group of FSB officers stormed into the flat, knocked down the landlady of the house, an ambulance was called to her, all the men were handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor. On 4 December, the court ordered to take Netreba into custody on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation. On 29 October 2020, he was released on his personal recognisance not to leave.

On 25 November 2021, he was ordered to pay a fine of 500 thousand rubles, taking into account the time served, the amount was reduced to 300 thousand.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Sources (1)

Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

All 929 under this article →