Alexander Protasov
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Suspended prison sentence
- Sentence
- 6 years
- Date of verdict
- 2025-05-30
- Region
- Chuvashia
- City
- NULL
Recognition by human rights organisations
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religionby Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
This is the assessment of the organisation named above, not ours. FACTUM reports it with attribution and does not make its own.
Case summary
Resident of Novocheboksarsk (Chuvashia). Before retirement, he worked as a foreman for repairing turbine equipment. In May 2023, he was searched in the case of his fellow countryman Yuri Yuskov, who was accused of involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. In September 2024, a case was opened against Protasov himself for participation in the activities of an extremist organisation. Representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services and attracting new supporters. Protasov was given a covenant not to leave the country. In May 2025, the court sentenced him to six years' suspended imprisonment.
Others charged under Article 282.2 part 2, 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.