Svetlana Zharkova
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Ban on activity, Suspended prison sentence
- Sentence
- 2 years
- Date of verdict
- 2025-09-30
- Region
- Khabarovsk Krai
- City
- Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Recognition by human rights organisations
- Recognised as persecuted for exercising freedom of religionby Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
This is the assessment of the organisation named above, not ours. FACTUM reports it with attribution and does not make its own.
Case summary
A resident of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Zharkova’s home was searched on 25 May 2023 as part of a criminal investigation into her alleged involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation, linked to her participation in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community.
Members of this community have been prosecuted under extremist legislation solely for practising their faith — including holding meetings, conducting worship services, and sharing their beliefs with others.
On 1 October 2025, the court sentenced Zharkova to 2 years’ probation.
Others charged under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
What we write about political persecution
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.