Sergey Zhigalov
Sergey Zhigalov, born 1971, Occupied territory of Sevastopol. Charges: Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Organization of the activities of an extremist organization); “Second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol”. Sentence (January 14, 2025): 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since January 14, 2025; place of detention: Penal colony No. 1, Yaroslavl Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion.
In brief
Occupied territory of Sevastopol · Sevastopol · Manual workers · Extremism cases, Cases against Jehovah's Witnesses
Sentence
6 years
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony
Upheld June 9, 2025
Charges
- Article 282.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Organization of the activities of an extremist organization
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, in May 2019, the defendants "developed a criminal plan" to continue the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organisation in Sevastopol and became elders in the "Primorskoye" branch. At "safe houses" on Dmitriy Ulyanov and Astan Kesaev streets, they held online meetings in Zoom, during which they studied Jehovah's Witnesses literature recognised as extremist, "foreign videos with sermons and songs", parsed their content, and "propagandised alien destructive religious ideas".
Latest event
December 5, 2025 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Persecution begins
Second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol
Criminal case
Second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol
- Case number
- 1-373/2023
Other defendants in the case
- Viktor Kudinov — Imprisoned, 6 years
Thematic group: The second case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 1, Yaroslavl Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
150036, Ярославская область, г. Ярославль, ул. Хлебная д.12, ФКУ «ИК № 1 УФСИН России по Ярославской области», Жигалов Сергей Александрович, 1971 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Sevastopol. In August 2022, a search took place at his home. He was detained and two days later sent under house arrest on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation in connection with involvement in the activities of 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 attracting new supporters. In October 2022, the court replaced Zhigalov's preventive measure with a ban on certain actions. The case was heared in court in March 2023. On 14 January 2025, Zhigalov was sentenced to six 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.