Sergey Vasilyev
Sergey Vasilyev, born 1951, Irkutsk Oblast. Charges: Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization); “The case of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses in Irkutsk”. Sentence (March 5, 2024): 3 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony, 6 months' restriction of liberty. Status: location unknown. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, October 8, 2021.
In brief
Irkutsk Oblast · Irkutsk · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
3 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony, 6 months' restriction of liberty
Upheld December 12, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in 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
June 11, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, October 8, 2021
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· 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: house arrest
· 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
- 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
- Denis Sarazhakov — 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
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Irkutsk. On October 4, 2021, Vasilyev's home was searched. On the next day, the court sent him under house arrest on the charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organisation due to his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses community. On March 5, 2024, he was sentenced to three years in a general regime colony and taken into custody. On July 23, 2024, the court released him on his own recognizance as, taking into account the time spent under preventive measures, he had fully served his sentence.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.