Anatolii Odintsov
Anatolii Odintsov, born 1958, Murmansk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “Anatolii Odintsov's case”. Sentenced on May 4, 2026. Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Murmansk Oblast · Snezhnogorsk · Engineers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 3 months
Imprisonment (general regime)
Upheld August 5, 2026
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Latest event
August 5, 2026 — court ruling
The court delivered a guilty verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Court ruling
guilty verdict
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years 3 months
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Murmansk Oblast
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Anatolii Odintsov's case
Criminal case
Anatolii Odintsov's case
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk Region), he worked at a heating plant, at a repair company, and later as a medical equipment engineer at a clinical pathology bureau. In April 2023, a case was brought against him for organising 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 because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services and attracting new supporters. In June 2023, an investigator informed Odintsov's wife that he was wanted. In June 2025, it became known that Odintsov was in custody. On 14 August 2025, he was placed under house arrest instead.
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.