October 20, 2026, 2:42 PMRSSRU
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Nikolay Polevodov

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Nikolay Polevodov, born 1970, Khabarovsk Krai. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Khabarovsk region”, opened on November 10, 2018. Sentence (October 10, 2024): a conditional sentence of 7 years and 6 months with a probationary period of 5 years; previously convicted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code. Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, June 27, 2024; Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020.

In brief

Khabarovsk Krai · Khabarovsk · Electricians · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses

Sentence

7 years 6 months

a conditional sentence of 7 years and 6 months with a probationary period of 5 years

Sentence changed October 10, 2024

First instance, June 20, 2024: 8 years 6 months

Other verdicts

  • February 3, 2020 — 2 years' suspended sentence with a probationary period of 2 years.

Charges

Full wording of the charges

participated in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community

Latest event

October 10, 2024 — appeal

The court changed the sentence to 7 years 6 months.

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Appeal ruling

    sentence changed · 7 years 6 months

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

    Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners

  3. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict · 8 years 6 months

  4. · Preventive measure: pre-trial detention

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

  5. · Persecution ends

  6. · Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list

Criminal case

The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Khabarovsk region

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khabarovsk Krai

The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khabarovsk Krai

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khabarovsk Krai

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

Khabarovsk resident. He was detained as a result of a raid on a cafe in Khabarovsk on 10 November 2018. On 12 November, he was taken into custody by court order on charges of organizing activities of an extremist organization in connection with involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist laws solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, and attracting new supporters.

On 14 January 2019, Polevodov was moved to house arrest. In July, he was released on his own recognizance. On 3 August 2020, the case was returned to the prosecutor's office. On 20 June 2024, Polevodov was sentenced to eight and a half years in a general regime colony. On 10 October 2024, the court of appeals reduced the term by a year and replaced the real sentence with a conditional one.

In May 2019, he was also accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. On 4 February 2020, Polevodov was sentenced to two years conditional sentence.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Persecution episodes
2
Sources (3)

Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code

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

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