Vladimir Sakada
Vladimir Sakada, born 1970, Occupied territory of Sevastopol. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol”. Sentence (October 6, 2022): 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: location unknown. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, October 6, 2022.
In brief
Occupied territory of Sevastopol · Sevastopol · Construction workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony
Upheld October 11, 2023
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
Participated in organising the activities of an extremist organisation
Latest event
August 3, 2026 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, October 6, 2022
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol
Other defendants in the case
- Andrey Zhukov — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Vladimir Maladyka — Imprisoned, 6 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol
Details and sources
Full summary
On 1 October 2020, Sawada's house was searched and he was detained. The next day, the court decided to take him into custody in the case of organizing the activities of an extremist organization in connection with his involvement in the community of Jehovah's Witnesses. Representatives of this community are persecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, collective worship services, attracting new supporters. On 23 March 2021, he was placed under house arrest. In October, the measure of restraint was replaced by a ban on certain actions. On 6 October 2022, he was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony.
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.