Detention: On March 22, 2023, Russian security forces conducted extensive searches in the homes of believers in the Krasnohvardiiske district. On the same day, Serhii Parfenovych was detained, and it later became known that Yuriy Herashchenko was also being pursued in connection with this case. On March 29, 2023, he was detained while attempting to leave occupied Crimea. Russian investigators accused him of participating in the activities of the banned religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). Initially, the court imposed house arrest as a preventive measure, later replaced by restrictions on certain actions. Human rights defenders emphasize that the basis for the persecution was solely the peaceful practice of religion.

Sentence: On July 1, 2024, the Russian-controlled Krasnohvardiiske District Court found Yuriy Herashchenko guilty of continuing the activities of the local Jehovah's Witnesses community, which was banned in Russia. He was sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony. According to the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, after the sentence, Yuriy was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 9 in Volgograd (Russia). Ukrainian and international human rights organizations consider this case politically motivated persecution for freedom of religion.

Yuriy Herashchenko was born on August 2, 1979. Before his arrest, he lived in the Krasnohvardiiske district of Crimea and was an active member of the local Jehovah's Witnesses community. According to the investigation, from 2017 to 2022, he allegedly assisted Serhii Parfenovych in organizing religious gatherings. Meanwhile, human rights defenders stress that these were ordinary peaceful worship services, Bible readings, and prayers, without calls for violence or extremist activities. This is why Yuriy Herashchenko's persecution is considered a violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

After his detention, he was under house arrest for a long time, but the criminal proceedings were not closed. During the trial, the prosecution relied on covert audio recordings of religious meetings, testimonies, and expert opinions, which, according to the defense, did not confirm any illegal activities. Human rights defenders emphasize that Yuriy Herashchenko's case is part of a large-scale campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses in occupied Crimea.

During the trial, the prosecution claimed that Yuriy Herashchenko allegedly continued the activities of the local Jehovah's Witnesses community after its ban in Russia. Evidence included covert audio recordings of religious gatherings, testimonies, and expert opinions. Meanwhile, lawyers and human rights defenders stressed that the case materials contained no evidence of calls for violence, incitement of hatred, or other illegal activities. His persecution is solely related to the peaceful practice of religion and the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience.

After the sentence became final, Yuriy Herashchenko was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 9 in Volgograd (Russian Federation). Human rights organizations emphasize that transferring Ukrainian citizens from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea to penitentiary institutions in Russia violates international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

Yuriy Herashchenko's case is systematically covered by CrimeanSOS, ZMINA, the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, USCIRF, and other human rights organizations. They view it as one of many examples of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in occupied Crimea following the 2017 decision of the Russian Supreme Court to ban this religious organization.

As of July 9, 2026, Yuriy Herashchenko continues to serve an unlawful sentence in the Russian Federation. Human rights organizations call on the international community to seek his release and to end the criminal prosecution of Ukrainian citizens for the peaceful practice of their religion.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, CrimeanSOS, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom), JW, Center for Civil Liberties.

Photo: USCIRF.

Date updated: 09.07.2026.