Valeriy Rogozin
Valeriy Rogozin, born 1962, Volgograd Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code (Financing extremist activities); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd”. Sentence (September 22, 2021): Six years five months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony, one year three months' restriction of liberty. Status: at large with restrictions. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, September 24, 2021; Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020.
In brief
Volgograd Oblast · Volgograd · Engineers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 5 months
Six years five months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony, one year three months' restriction of liberty
Upheld January 18, 2023
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
- Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Financing extremist activities
Full wording of the charges
Participated in organising and financing the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
April 7, 2026 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, September 24, 2021
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years 5 months
· Recognised as persecuted 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 №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Volgograd Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd
Other defendants in the case
- Igor Egozarian — At large, 6 years
- Sergei Melnik — At large with restrictions, 6 years
- Vyacheslav Osipov — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Denis Peresunko — At large, 6 years 3 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd
Details and sources
Full summary
Detained on 16 May 2019 and taken into custody by court order on 19 May on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, attracting new supporters. On 26 December, a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions was chosen. On 10 December 2020, the court did not extend the ban to leave the house from 22:00 to 6:00.
23 September 2021 he was sentenced to six years and five months in a general regime colony, taken into custody in the courtroom. On 1 October it became known that Rogozin was sent to the colony pending appeal. Later it was reported that he was in the pre-trial detention centre, not in the colony. In the colony Rogozin served later. On 7 April 2026, he was released.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.