Photo: Andrey Sazonov (February 2019)

Photo: Andrey Sazonov (February 2019)

Photo: Andrey Sazonov (February 2019)

Criminal Investigation and Trial

A believer from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area

On February 26, 2019, the Khanty-Mansiysk District Court (court of first instance) rejected the request of the Investigative Committee of Russia to detain 38-year-old Andrey Sazonov and ordered his immediate release. Earlier, on February 8, the court sent him to 55 days in custody, but later the court of appeal reduced the period of his detention and returned his case for a new trial. The decision on house arrest was made by the new composition of the court.

It is noteworthy that Andrey Sazonov will be under house arrest at his home in the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), and not in Khanty-Mansiysk, where the investigative body is located. The distance between the cities is more than 400 kilometers.

Andrew arrived home the same day at 2 a.m. The next morning, a bracelet was put on his leg.

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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