Igor Popov
Igor Popov, born 1966, Voronezh Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Voronezh Oblast”. Sentence (November 21, 2025): 6 years' suspended sentence. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, November 5, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, November 5, 2020.
In brief
Voronezh Oblast · Voronezh · Construction workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
suspended sentence
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
He convened meetings, organized events and worship services, preached, and recruited new supporters.
Latest event
November 21, 2025 — first-instance verdict
The court delivered a guilty verdict: 6 years.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, November 5, 2020
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, November 5, 2020
Timeline
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №3 (SIZO-3) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Voronezh Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Voronezh Oblast
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Temporary detention centre (IVS OMVD) for Nizhnedevitsky District of Voronezh Oblast
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Voronezh Oblast
- Case number
- 1-1/2025
Other defendants in the case
- Aleksei Antiukhin — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Sergei Baev — At large, 6 years
- Mikhail Veselov — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Yuri Galka — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Valerii Gurskii — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Vitalii Nerush — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Stepan Pankratov — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Evgenii Sokolov — At large, 7 years
- Anatolii Iagupov — Imprisoned, 6 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh region
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of the Voronezh region. On 13 July 2020, Popov's house was searched, after which he was detained. Later, the court decided to take him into custody in the case of organizing activities of an extremist organization. Then he was transferred under house arrest. On 2 December, a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions was elected.
On 21 November 2025, the court sentenced him to six years of suspended imprisonment.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- travel ban (written undertaking)
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.