Dmitrii Zagulin
Dmitrii Zagulin, born 1973, Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Charges: Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code (Financing extremist activities); “The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan”. Sentence (December 19, 2022): 3 years 6 months' imprisonment in a general regime colony. 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
Jewish Autonomous Oblast · Birobidzhan · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
3 years 6 months
imprisonment in a general regime colony
Upheld March 27, 2024
Charges
- Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Financing extremist activities
Full wording of the charges
Collected cash from other members of the organization and used it to support the activities of the "Management Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" (Moscow) and its subordinate religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan.
Latest event
March 27, 2026 — imprisonment ends
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
· Imprisonment ends
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years 6 months
· 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
- Valerii Kriger — Imprisoned, 6 years 9 months
- Sergey Shulyarenko — Imprisoned, 6 years 9 months
Thematic group: The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Birobidzhan. Before criminal prosecution, he worked for many years for Russian Railways. In April 2019, it became known about the initiation of proceedings against him for financing the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, attracting new supporters. Zagulin was searched on 17 May and given a recognisance not to leave.
On 19 December 2022, he was sentenced to three and a half years in a general regime colony.
On 27 March 2026, he was released from the colony. Zagulin must spend another eight years under administrative supervision.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 282.3 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.