Human Rights

Announcement of the press conference "Torture of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut. New facts of persecution. Expert opinion"

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area

On March 28, 2019, a press conference will be held in Moscow highlighting the authorities' response to the complaint of 7 Surgut Jehovah's Witnesses who reported torture during interrogations on February 15, 2019.

The press conference will be attended by well-known human rights defenders, lawyers and a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The event will be held at the Press Center of the Rosbalt News Agency at the address: Moscow, Skatertny per., 4/2, p. 1. The press center organizes a live video broadcast of the conference. It starts on March 28, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.

Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut

Case History
In February 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against 18 men and 1 woman from Surgut (among them was a person mistaken for one of Jehovah’s Witnesses). Their homes were searched. During the interrogations, 7 believers were subjected to violence. Artur Severinchik was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 29 days, while Yevgeniy Fedin and Sergey Loginov—for 56 days. Timofey Zhukov was illegally placed in a psychiatric hospital for 14 days. Believers filed complaints about the use of torture with the Investigative Committee, the ECHR and the Human Rights Ombudsman, a press conference was held with the participation of human rights activists, but none of the security officials was brought to justice. In October 2021, the case materials went to court. Two years later, the court sentenced all believers to suspended sentences ranging from four to seven years. In February 2025, an appeal upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kim
Artem
Boronos
Vyacheslav
Burenesku
Vasily
Fedin
Evgeny
Fefilov
Victor
Gargalyk
Saveliy
Petrov
Igor
Kayryak
Evgeny
Kobotov
Igor
Logins
Sergey
Plekhov
Aleksey
Romashov
Paul
Rysikov
Leonid
Severinchik
Arthur
Shepel
Viola
Trifonov
Igor
Volosnikov
Sergey
Zhukov
Timofey

Criminal case

Region:
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
Locality:
Surgut
Suspected of:
delivering speeches, engaging in the Witnesses' public preaching activity with local members, meeting with Bible education volunteers and appointed congregation assistants, and having as one objective the organizing of appointed men in the Vzlyotnove Congregation
Court case number:
42002007709000023
Initiated:
February 11, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the city of Surgut of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
№ 1-27/2023 (1-130/2022; 1-1348/2021)
Court:
Surgut City Court
Judge:
Dmitriy Lyupin
Case History
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