Viola Shepel
Viola Shepel, born 1976, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut”. Sentence (December 5, 2023): 3 years 3 months suspended sentence. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, January 8, 2020; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion, May 30, 2019.
In brief
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug · Surgut · Entrepreneurs · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
3 years 3 months
suspended sentence
Upheld February 20, 2025
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
delivered speeches, participated in preaching ministry with local "Jehovah's Witnesses", held meetings with "pioneers", "elders" and "office assistants", including for the purpose of organising the activities of "elders" in the "Vzletnoye" "assembly"
Latest event
February 20, 2025 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 8, 2020
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, May 30, 2019
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years 3 months
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut
Other defendants in the case
- Ilkhom Aminjanov — At large
- Vyacheslav Boronos — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Vasiliy Burenescu — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Sergey Volosnikov — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Savely Gargalyk — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Timofey Zhukov — At large, 7 years
- Eugeniy Kairyak — At large, 6 years 10 months
- Artem Kim — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Igor Kobotov — At large, 6 years 4 months
- Sergey Loginov — At large, 7 years
- Grigorii Ozhiganov — At large
- Igor Petrov — At large, 6 years 5 months
- Alexey Plekhov — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Pavel Romashov — At large, 6 years 7 months
- Leonid Rysikov — At large, 6 years 9 months
- Artur Severinchik — At large, 6 years 3 months
- Igor Trifonov — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Evgeniy Fedin — At large, 6 years 6 months
- Viktor Fefilov — At large, 6 years 4 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
Details and sources
Full summary
After home searches of the suspects in the case regarding the activities of an extremist organization on February 15, 2019 it became known that Viola Shepel was also on the case as a suspect. A recognizance not to leave was signed. On December 5, 2023 Shepel was sentenced to three years and three months suspended sentence.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- travel ban (written undertaking)
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.