Detention: On August 7, 2024, officers of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and other Russian security agencies searched Tamara Bratzeva's home and took her for questioning. A criminal case was initiated against her under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“organization of the activities of an extremist organization”), linked to her membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses religious community. After questioning, she was released on her own recognizance.

Sentence: On October 17, 2025, the Rozdolne District Court of the occupation authorities found Tamara Bratzeva guilty and sentenced her to 6 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probation period. Human rights defenders consider the sentence politically motivated and part of the systematic persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in occupied Crimea.

Tamara Ivanivna Bratzeva was born on September 28, 1955. She worked for many years as an occupational safety engineer. In 1975, she married Oleksandr. The couple raised a daughter. Open sources indicate that Tamara is the only member of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious community in her family.

Following the 2017 decision by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities, Russian authorities began mass criminal prosecutions of believers both in Russia and in the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula. Human rights organizations have repeatedly emphasized that mere participation in peaceful worship cannot be grounds for criminal liability.
On August 5, 2024, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Tamara Bratzeva, accusing her of organizing the activities of an “extremist organization.” On August 7, security forces searched her home in Rozdolne, seizing electronic equipment, personal records, and religious literature. She was then taken for questioning, where she was officially charged. She was released on her own recognizance as a preventive measure.

According to the Russian investigation, Tamara Bratzeva allegedly organized Jehovah's Witnesses religious gatherings via videoconferences, read and discussed the Bible, and coordinated worship services. The defense and human rights organizations emphasized that these actions constitute the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience and religion, guaranteed by international law, and do not contain elements of extremism or calls for violence.

The trial lasted over a year. Despite the defendant's advanced age and the absence of any evidence of violent activity, the prosecutor requested a real prison term. On October 17, 2025, the court issued a guilty verdict — 6 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment. After the verdict came into legal force, Tamara Bratzeva remained free but continues to be under court-imposed restrictions.

The Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Crimean Tatar Resource Center include Tamara Bratzeva in lists of individuals subjected to politically motivated persecution in occupied Crimea. Her case exemplifies the use of Russian “extremism” legislation to persecute individuals solely for their religious beliefs.

As of July 26, 2026, there is no information on the annulment of the sentence or the termination of the criminal prosecution of Tamara Bratzeva. She remains a person convicted on politically motivated charges and is among the victims of repression in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.

Information used from open sources: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Suspilne News, Krym.Realii.

Photo: Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Date updated: 26.07.2026.