Igor Popov
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Region
- Ulyanovsk Oblast
- City
- Dimitrovgrad
Case summary
A resident of Dimitrovgrad (Ulianovsk region). On 3 February 2026 he was visited to be checked. According to the resource "Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal situation in Russia", Popov's wife was knocked down, and he himself was thrown face down on the floor and was hit several times. After the search, he was taken to the FSB office where, according to Popov, he was beaten while handcuffed with his hands behind his back, then stripped and electrocuted, forcing him to sign pre-prepared self-incriminating statements and agree to "cooperate" with the investigation. On February 5, Popov was placed under the house arrest after being accused in involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation, namely the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under the extremist articles solely because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services and attracting new supporters.
On 6 February 2026, Popov was hospitalised and placed in the surgical department.
Others charged under Article 282.2 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.