Denis Sarazhakov
Denis Sarazhakov, born 1988, Irkutsk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses in Irkutsk”. Sentence (March 5, 2024): 6 years 4 months' imprisonment in a general regime colony, prohibition to engage in organisational activities in public… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since October 30, 2021; place of detention: Penal colony No. 1, Buryatia. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, December 3, 2021.
In brief
Irkutsk Oblast · Irkutsk · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 4 months
imprisonment in a general regime colony, prohibition to engage in organisational activities in public or religious associations for 5 years, and 1 year 2 months' restriction of liberty
Upheld December 12, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
being "an adherent of the religious association "Management Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia", organised collective religious services consisting of successive performances of songs and prayers to Jehovah God, study of articles"
Latest event
December 12, 2024 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, December 3, 2021
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years 4 months
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Irkutsk Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses in Irkutsk
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
Criminal case
The case of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses in Irkutsk
Other defendants in the case
- Sergey Vasilyev — Location unknown, 3 years
- Yaroslav Kalin — Imprisoned, 7 years
- Sergey Kosteev — Imprisoned, 7 years
- Nikolay Martynov — Imprisoned, 7 years
- Michael Moish — Imprisoned, 7 years
- Igor Popov — Imprisoned, 6 years 4 months
- Alexei Solnechny — Imprisoned, 7 years
- Andrey Tolmachev — Imprisoned, 7 years
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Irkutsk
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 1, Buryatia
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
671160, Селенгинский р-н, Бурятия, г. Гусиноозерск, ФКУ «ИК № 1 УФСИН России по Республике Бурятия», Саражаков Денис Александрович, 1988 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On November 30, 2021, Sarazhakov's home in the village of Askiz (Khakassia) was searched. The law enforcers entered the house and threw him on the floor. He was taken to Irkutsk region, where on December 2, the court sent him to custody on the charges of organizing activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his involvement with the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under the articles of the Criminal Code concerned with extremism solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, attracting new supporters. On March 5, 2024, he was sentenced to six years and four months 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.