Zhanna Zhavoronkova
- Criminal Code
- Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Extremism casesCases against Jehovah's Witnesses
- Verdict
- Suspended prison sentence
- Sentence
- 2 years 6 months
- Date of verdict
- 2026-01-30
- Region
- Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
- City
- NULL
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
Resident of Nizhny Novgorod region, she works as an work-assignment clerk of locomotive crews. On 2 December 2024, she was questioned in hospital after suffering a stroke. She was charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organisation due to her involvement with the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely because of their religious activities - holding meetings and worship services and involving new supporters. On 30 January 2026, Zhavoronkova was sentenced to a two and a half year suspended sentence.
Others charged under Article 282.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
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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.