Aleksei Ovchar
Aleksei Ovchar, born 1979, Kamchatka Krai. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “Aleksei Ovchar's case”. Sentence (February 26, 2025): 6 years' suspended imprisonment. Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Kamchatka Krai · Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky · Teachers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
suspended imprisonment
Upheld April 22, 2025
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
Accused of "convening meetings, organising collective religious speeches and worship services in accordance with the ideology of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious association at these meetings... Conducted planned training with other persons on the postulates of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious association".
Latest event
April 22, 2025 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Aleksei Ovchar's case
Criminal case
Aleksei Ovchar's case
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Details and sources
Full summary
A Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky resident, he worked as a Chinese language teacher, translator, and manager in a trading company. In September 2022, a case was brought against him for organising activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities, such as holding meetings and worship services and attracting new supporters. On 25 December 2023 the investigation was suspended, but on 15 October 2024 it was resumed. The case went to trial. The prosecutor announced that Ovchar's guilt lay in his participation in 12 worship meetings. The defence stated that he had attended only one of these meetings. On 26 February 2025, Ovchar was sentenced to six years' probation.
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.