Detention: On July 28, 2023, Russian security forces searched Viktor Ursu's home in Dzhankoy. During the search, he was detained. According to human rights defenders, after his detention, he spent 12 days in a temporary detention facility. A criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code was initiated on August 7, 2023, and on August 9, 2023, the occupation court imposed house arrest as a preventive measure.

Sentence: On September 8, 2025, the occupation Dzhankoy District Court found Viktor Ursu guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code — 'organization of the activities of an extremist organization' — and sentenced him to 6 years in a general regime colony. After release, the court imposed 1 year of restricted freedom. He was also banned for 5 years from engaging in activities related to leadership and participation in religious organizations, educational activities, public speaking, media publications, and posting materials online. On the day of the verdict, Ursu was taken into custody directly in the courtroom.

Viktor Oleksandrovych Ursu lived in Dzhankoy. Ursu belongs to a family where the tradition of practicing the Jehovah's Witness faith has been passed down for several generations. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were Jehovah's Witnesses and faced religious persecution in the Soviet Union. Viktor Ursu was baptized in 1983.

Ursu's professional activity was linked to a working-class profession. He worked for many years as a milling machine operator at an enterprise in Dzhankoy. According to Ursu himself, at the time of the legal proceedings, he had about 40 years of work experience at this enterprise. His employer provided a positive reference and confirmed that the enterprise needed his professional skills.

In 1988, Viktor Ursu married Marina. The couple has a daughter. Before his detention, they lived together in Dzhankoy.
After the occupation of Crimea, Ursu continued to participate in the religious life of the Jehovah's Witness community. According to the criminal case materials, the Russian investigation accused him of organizing and conducting religious gatherings, as well as coordinating community activities. Evidence included audio recordings of worship services.

On July 28, 2023, Russian security forces came to Ursu's house, demanded to see his passport during the search, and detained him after his refusal. He spent 12 days in a temporary detention facility. On August 7, 2023, a criminal case was opened under the article for 'organization of the activities of an extremist organization,' and on August 9, the court placed him under house arrest.

During nearly a year of house arrest, Ursu faced significant restrictions. He was prohibited from communicating with his wife Marina, although the couple had been married for over 30 years at that time. On August 27, 2024, the house arrest was replaced with a travel ban.

During the trial, audio recordings of religious gatherings were used. The case also involved a secret witness under the pseudonym 'Gromov.' According to Suspilne, this witness confirmed that Ursu did not call for violence or lawbreaking.

On September 8, 2025, the Dzhankoy District 'court' found Ursu guilty and sentenced him to six years in a general regime colony. In his final statement, he declared that he did not consider himself a criminal or extremist. Ursu also emphasized that he has lived in Dzhankoy for over 50 years, worked as a milling machine operator at one enterprise for about 40 years, and cared for his parents.

The Russian criminal prosecution is related to the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, which Russia has declared 'extremist' and banned. Ukrainian human rights organizations view such prosecutions in occupied Crimea as violations of freedom of conscience and religion. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center called Ursu's sentence illegal and another example of the occupation authorities' repression against freedom of religion.

After the verdict was announced on September 8, 2025, Ursu was taken into custody in the courtroom. He was initially transferred to the Simferopol pre-trial detention center and later sent to serve his sentence in Russia at the Federal Correctional Institution IK-8 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Astrakhan Oblast.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Suspilne Crimea, Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Human Rights Project 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial', 'Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal Situation in Russia'.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date of update: 13.09.2026.