Grigorii Ozhiganov
Grigorii Ozhiganov, born 1999, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code (Involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut”. Sentenced on December 5, 2023. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, May 30, 2019.
In brief
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug · Surgut · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
Suspended prison sentence
Upheld February 20, 2025
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code — Involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
delivered speeches, participated in preaching ministry with local "Jehovah's Witnesses", held meetings with "pioneers", "elders" and "office assistants", including for the purpose of organising the activities of "elders" in the "Vzletnoye" "assembly"
Latest event
February 20, 2025 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, May 30, 2019
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut
Other defendants in the case
- Ilkhom Aminjanov — At large
- Vyacheslav Boronos — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Vasiliy Burenescu — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Sergey Volosnikov — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Savely Gargalyk — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Timofey Zhukov — At large, 7 years
- Eugeniy Kairyak — At large, 6 years 10 months
- Artem Kim — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Igor Kobotov — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Sergey Loginov — At large, 7 years
- Igor Petrov — At large, 6 years 5 months
- Alexey Plekhov — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Pavel Romashov — At large, 6 years 7 months
- Leonid Rysikov — At large, 6 years 9 months
- Artur Severinchik — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Igor Trifonov — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Evgeniy Fedin — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Viktor Fefilov — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Viola Shepel — At large, 3 years 3 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Surgut. No later than April 2019, it became known that Grigorii Ozhiganov is being held as a suspect in a case on the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. He was placed under an undertaking not to abscond. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services and attracting new supporters. On 5 December 2023, Ozhiganov was allegedly sentenced to a suspended sentence.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- travel ban (written undertaking)
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.