Additional Name(s): Yuriy Ivanovich Bycha, Быче Юрий Иванович

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Russia

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Date of Detainment: March/5/2023

Date of Release: February/22/2024

Current Status: Released

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Online Activity Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism

Yuriy Bycha

Extra Bio Info:

Yuriy Bycha was detained for his religious activity.

On March 5, 2023, authorities in Vladivostok detained of several individuals, including Bycha, and searched their homes. Investigators accused them of holding religious meetings over Zoom and were reportedly investigating them for “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC), "recruiting…a person in the activities of an extremist organization” (Art. 282.2-1.1 RCC), and “participating in the activities of a public or religious association, or any other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-2 RCC).

On February 22, 2024, Bycha was released.

Related Cases: Sergey Novoselov, Yegor Pogrebnyak, Kirill Chekolaev

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