The number of Jehovah’s Witnesses now prosecuted for their faith has reached 62.
On 3 August 2018 Memorial Human Rights Centre announced it had recognised 29 Jehovah’s Witnesses as political prisoners. A further 10 Jehovah’s Witnesses, who had not been remanded in custody or placed under house arrest, were recognised as victims of politically-motivated prosecutions. In September 2018 Memorial announced that 11 more Jehovah’s Witnesses had been recognised as political prisoners or victims of politically-motivated prosecutions.
Since then, repressive measures against Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose Church has been banned in Russia, have continued. Memorial Human Rights Centre is aware of at least seven new cases in which charges have been brought and suspects remanded in custody:uHhhh
1. Korobeinikov, Vladmir Aleksandrovich
2. Onishchuk, Andzhei
3. Sorokina, Nataliya Igorevna
4. Suvorkov, Andrei Sergeevna
5. Suvorkov, Evgeny Anatolievich
6. Troshina, Mariya Vladimirovna
7. Khalturin, Maksim Valerievich
Three Jehovah’s Witnesses have been placed under house arrest:
1. Kuchkov, Viktor Aleksandrovich
2. Lemeshev, Anton Nikolaevich (initially remanded in custody, then placed under house arrest)
3. Turik, Igor Valerievich
We also know of two other people facing criminal charges relating to their membership of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who remain at liberty:
1. Burylov, Boris Ivanovich
2. Kriger, Valery Sergeevich
As of 9 November 2018, the total number of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia who are political prisoners is at least 42, of whom 27 have been remanded in custody and 15 are under house arrest. In addition, there are at least 20 Jehovah’s Witnesses subject to politically-motivated prosecutions who have not been remanded in custody. The relatively slow rate of increase in the number of those remanded in custody, in our view, derives from the fact that while ever more Jehovah’s Witnesses are being remanded in custody, a number of those remanded earlier are being transferred to house arrest or released subject to travel restrictions. We are aware that the current list is in all probability not exhaustive, and new names will be added. The regularly updated list of those prosecuted on charges of belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Church can be read here. For our readers’ convenience we also publish this list here.
Remanded in custody:
1. Alushkin, Vladimir Aleksandrovich
2. Bazhenov, Konstantin Aleksandrovich
3. Bazhenov, Konstantin Viktorovich
4. Barmakin, Dmitry Viktorovich
5. Britvin, Sergei Alekseevich
6. Budenchuk, Aleksei Vladimirovich
7. Klimov, Sergei Gennadievich
8. Korobeinikov, Vladimir Aleksandrovich
9. Kristensen, Dennis Ole
10. Levchuk, Vadim Anatolievich
11. Matrashov, Konstantin Viktorovich
12. Makhammadiev, Feliks Khasanovich
13. Mikhailov, Dmitry Vasilievich
14. Moskalenko, Valery Vasilievich
15. Myakushin, Vladimir Nikolaevich
16. Onishchuk, Andzhei
17. Osadchuk, Valentin Pavlovich
18. Polyakov, Sergei Valerievich
19. Polyakova, Anastasiya Andreevna
20. Raiman, Sergei Alekseevich
21. Sorokina, Nataliya Igorevna
22. Stupnikov, Andrei Garafetanovich
23. Suvorkov, Andrei Sergeevich
24. Suvorkov, Evgeny Anatolievich
25. Troshina, Mariya Vladimirovna
26. Khalturin, Maksim Valerievich
27. Iulmetev, Aidar Maratovich
Under house arrest:
1. Vilitkevich, Anatoly Sergeevich
2. Erkin, Sergei Livievich
3. Zyablov, Evgeny Anatolievich
4. Karimov, Ilkham Shamilievich
5. Kulyasov, Vladimir Aleksandrovich
6. Kuchkov, Viktor Aleksandrovich
7. Lemeshev, Anton Nikolaevich
8. Magliv, Andrei Aleksandrovich
9. Markin, Roman Nikolaevich
10. Petrov, Konstantin Nikolaevich
11. Puida, Ivan Grigorievich
12. Soloviev, Aleksandr Vasilievich
13. Timoshin, Denis Vladimirovich
14. Trofimov, Viktor Fedorovich
15. Turik Igor, Valerievich
At liberty, but subject to criminal prosecution for belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Church:
1. Akopyan, Arkady Akopovich
2. Aliev, Alam Abdulaziz ogly
3. Bazhenova, Snezhana Evgenievna
4. Burylov, Boris Ivanovich
5. Voikov, Sergei Aleksandrovich
6. Zalipaev, Yury Viktorovich
7. Zolotova, Vera Ivanovna
8. Ivashin, Igor Nikolaevich
9. Kolbanov, Vladislav Sergeevich
10. Kochnev, Vladimir Yurievich
11. Kriger, Valery Sergeevich
12. Mikhailova, Elena Valentinovna
13. Popov, Mikhail Yurievich
14. Popova, Elena Vyacheslavovna
15. Raiman, Valeriya Aleksandrovna
16. Skrynnikov, Sergei Vladimirovich
17. Suvorov, Aleksandr Gennadievich
18. Shalyapin, Anatoly Aleksandrovich
19. Shishina, Svetlana Yurievna
20. Shpakovsky, Gennady Valerianovich
We continue to hold that there are no grounds on which the organisations of the Jehovah’s Witnesses could be designated as extremist, and this designation is in violation of the rights to freedom of conscience and of association. The criminal prosecution of adherents of this religious faith is unlawful and discriminatory. We continue to consider all Jehovah’s Witnesses in custody or under house arrest as political prisoners and we call for their immediate release. We also demand an end to the criminal prosecution of those Jehovah’s Witnesses who are subject to other pre-trial conditions.
Memorial Human Rights Centre will continue to monitor the unlawful prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses and of members of other religious groups that have been banned without good reason.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner, or of a prosecution as politically motivated, does not imply that Memorial Human Rights Centre shares or approves the individual’s views, statements or actions.
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