Sergey Shulyarenko
Sergey Shulyarenko, born 1984, Jewish Autonomous 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 Birobidzhan”. Sentence (March 27, 2024): 6 years 9 months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since December 19, 2022; place of detention: Penal colony No. 8, Amur Oblast. 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
Jewish Autonomous Oblast · Birobidzhan · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years 9 months
deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony
First instance, December 19, 2022: 7 years
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
used to collect cash from other members of the organisation and used it to support the activities of the "Management Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" (Moscow) and its subordinate religious organisation Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan.
Latest event
March 27, 2024 — cassation
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
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· Persecution begins
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Criminal case
The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
- Case number
- 1-8/2022 (1-65/2021; 1-609/2020;)
Other defendants in the case
- Alam Aliyev — Imprisoned, 6 years 6 months
- Dmitrii Zagulin — At large, 3 years 6 months
- Valerii Kriger — Imprisoned, 6 years 9 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 8, Amur Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
675010, Амурская область, г.Благовещенск, ул. Албазинская, 45, ФКУ «ИК № 8 УФСИН России по Амурской области», Шуляренко Сергей Александрович, 1984 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Birobidzhan. In April 2019, it became known about the initiation of a case of financing the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with 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 17 May Shulyarenko was searched. Shulyarenko was placed under recognizance not to leave. On 19 December 2022 he was sentenced to seven years in a general regime penal 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.