Four Jehovah’s Witnesses from Chelyabinsk Oblast are political prisoners
On the charge of extremism, Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhensky, Artyom Repin and Evgeny Cherepanov have been taken into custody
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhensky, Artyom Repin and Evgeny Cherepanov to be political prisoners. They are being prosecuted under the article on organising the activities of an extremist organisation. The criminal case against the Jehovah’s Witnesses from Ozersk violates their right to freedom of religion. We demand that they be released immediately and that all criminal charges against them be dropped.
What are the charges against the four Jehovah’s Witnesses?
On January 17, in the city of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, security forces carried out searches at the homes of local Jehovah’s Witnesses. Two men were beaten during the raids. The believers had their Bibles, phones, computers, and personal notes confiscated.
Following this, Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhensky, Artyom Repin, and Yevgeny Cherepanov were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Twenty-year-old Yevgeny Cherepanov had come to Ozersk to take his mother to a medical examination at the hospital.
The next day, the court sent the four believers to a pre-trial detention center. They are accused under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code).
Why do we consider the deprived of liberty Jehovah’s Witnesses political prisoners?
On 20 April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia issued the decision to declare the Russian “Administrative Centre of Jehovah’s Witnesses” an extremist organisation.
We consider it discriminatory to bring charges against individuals on the sole basis that, as Jehovah’s Witnesses, they may have participated in rituals and gatherings or distributed materials related to their faith. Furthermore, such charges violate international legal norms, particularly the right to freedom of religion. In essence, under article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, believers are charged with having been members of an organised religious group—an accusation that is unequivocally unlawful.
On 7 June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Russia’s ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses and the prosecution of believers illegal.
The ECHR ruled that Russia had violated the believers’ right to freedom of religion (article 9 of the European Convention), freedom of expression (article 10), freedom of association (article 11), as well as the right to protection of property (article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention).
Further information on the prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is available here.
The recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply that the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements or actions.
How can you help?
You can write letters to the accused at the following address:
RU:
456205, Челябинская область, г. Златоуст, ул. им. П. П. Аносова, д. 273, ФКУ СИЗО-4 ГУФСИН России по Челябинской области,
- Черепанову Евгению Константиновичу, 2004 г. р.;
- Репину Артёму Олеговичу, 1993 г. р.;
- Смольникову Игорю Владимировичу, 1970 г. р.;
- Преображенскому Олегу Борисовичу, 1968 г. р.
EN:
- Preobrazhensky Oleg Borisovich, born 19,
- Smolnikov Igor Vladimirovich, born 1970,
- Repin Artyom Olegovich, born 1993,
- Cherepanov Evgeny Konstantinovich, born 2004
Remand Prison No. 4, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Chelyabinsk Oblast, 273 Anosova Street, Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk Oblast, 456205, Russia.
You can also send an email using ZT (payment with all bank cards), OVD-Info and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
You can donate through our website to help all political prisoners in Russia.
