Yuri Pichugin
Yuri Pichugin, born 1959, Tomsk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “Jehovah's Witnesses' case in Tomsk”. Status: imprisoned. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Tomsk Oblast · Tomsk · Pensioners · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Preventive measure: pre-trial detention since June 1, 2025
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, two local residents and two foreigners took part in the activities of an extremist local religious organisation, knowing that its activities had been banned in accordance with a decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. They held conversations, including via videoconference on the Internet, the purpose of which was to preach and immerse citizens in the religious subsection of the extremist organisation.
Latest event
March 24, 2026 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Tomsk Oblast
· Persecution begins
Jehovah's Witnesses' case in Tomsk
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
Jehovah's Witnesses' case in Tomsk
- Case number
- 1-360/2026
Other defendants in the case
- Evgenii Abramov — Imprisoned
- Yana Abramova — Imprisoned
- Gonhi Jahi — Imprisoned
- Evgenii Dodolin — Imprisoned
- Tatiana Dodolina — Imprisoned
- Anton Novopashin — Imprisoned
- Andrei Plekhanov — Imprisoned
- Vladimir Pushkov — Imprisoned
- Aisulu Tastaibekova — Imprisoned
Write a letter
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
634510, Россия, Томская область, г. Томск, ул. Пушкина, 48, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Томской области, Пичугин Юрий Иванович, 1959 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
A Tomsk resident.
On 30 May 2025, law enforcers came to search at least four residences of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tomsk. As a result, they detained four believers aged 24 to 65: Anton Novopashin, a Kazakh citizen, Gonhi Jahi, a student from Côte d'Ivoire, Andrei Plekhanov and Yuri Pichugin, who had recently suffered a stroke. They are being held as defendants in a case of participation in extremist activities. All of them have been taken in custody.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.