Search
Rustam Diarov
Journalists
1973-08-13
Not in Russia
Astrakhan
View in the Persecution DatabaseBiography
He was detained after a search on 9 June 2020 and taken into custody by court order on 11 June. He was charged with organising the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his involvement in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services and attracting new supporters. Later, Diarov was also charged with financing extremist activities.
On 25 October 2021, he was sentenced to eight years in a general regime colony. On 22 December 2022, the cassation court expanded the sentence with a ban on travelling
He was detained after a search on 9 June 2020 and taken into custody by court order on 11 June. He was charged with organising the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his involvement in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: meetings, joint worship services and attracting new supporters. Later, Diarov was also charged with financing extremist activities.
On 25 October 2021, he was sentenced to eight years in a general regime colony. On 22 December 2022, the cassation court expanded the sentence with a ban on travelling outside Astrakhan.
In 2025, he was deprived of Russian citizenship (acquired in 2007) at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
On 17 February 2026, the court gave Diarov early release from punishment, and on the night of 18 February he was deported from Russia to Uzbekistan.
NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW
Unless someone writes about it. OVD-Info is often the sole source for news on repression, while also providing legal aid to political prisoners. We depend entirely on your support to continue. Join our recurring donors to keep these stories—and people—from being forgotten.