Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Photo source: londondeposit / depositphotos.com

Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Searches and detention of believers in Ugra

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area

On February 6, 2019, in the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), searches were conducted in 8 houses of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 38-year-old Andrey Sazonov was arrested, the court must choose a measure of restraint for him within 2 days.

Recently, believers have noticed surveillance of themselves from cars with tinted windows, so they were even forced to file a complaint with the police on the helpline.

The Case of Sazonov in Uray

Case History
In January 2019, Andrey Sazonov, father of two (minor at the time), deputy general director of an energy company, faced persecution for his faith. A criminal case was initiated against him for organizing extremist activity, and later he was charged with financing it. After the search and interrogation, the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center, then under house arrest, and 6 months later — under a ban on certain actions. The court considered the case from June 2020 to December 2021. As a result, Sazonov was fined 500,000 rubles. The court of appeal overturned this decision and sent the case for a new trial to the same court, but composed of different judges. In June 2022, hearings began a second time, and in October 2023, the court imposed a fine of 450,000 rubles on the believer. In January 2024, after a second appeal hearing the case was sent back again for reconsideration. In October 2025, the court again fined Andrey 450,000 rubles.
Timeline

Persons in case

Sazonov
Andrey

Criminal case

Region:
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
Locality:
Uray
Suspected of:
religious affiliation is deemed as “organising and participating in the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the court decision on the liquidation of the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses)
Court case number:
11902711001000310
Initiated:
January 31, 2019
Current case stage:
verdict did not take effect
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area-Yugra
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-7/2025 (1-59/2024; 1-6/2023; 1-128/2022; 1-7/2021; 1-83/2020)
Court:
Uray City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area-Yugra
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Viktor Yarishev
Case History
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