Russia, Jehovah’s Witnesses banned since 20 April 2017

World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses (20.04.2024) – April 20th marks the seventh anniversary of Russia’s nationwide ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses, which has led to hundreds of peaceful believers jailed and some brutally tortured. International human rights advocates are decrying...

Opinion: Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses remain devout despite facing bans

This month, Vladimir Putin secured 87% of the vote in Russia to extend his hold on power. And, another ten Russian Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted and sentenced to prison. Jarrod Lopes, spokesperson for the...

Russia, Jehovah’s Witness Tatyana Piskareva, 67, sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of forced labor

She was just participating in a religious worship online. Earlier, her husband Vladimir received six years in prison on similar charges. Tatyana Piskareva, a pensioner from Oryol, was found guilty of participating in the activities of...

RUSSIA: “Extremism” prosecutions of elderly Jehovah’s Witnesses

Courts have convicted 467 Jehovah's Witnesses from 2017 up to 18 March 2024, and ultimately acquitted none. Over a quarter of the Jehovah's Witnesses prosecuted have been aged 60 or older, with 12 individuals aged...

RUSSIA: Religious freedom survey, March 2024

Freedom of religion and belief, with interlinked freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and other fundamental freedoms remain seriously restricted in Russia. Forum 18's survey analysis documents violations including: "extremism"-related criminal prosecutions and jailings of Jehovah's...

Russia: Heavy sentences for nine Jehovah’s Witnesses for ‘extremist activity’

Since 2017, Russia's Supreme Court has labeled the Jehovah's Witness denomination "extremist," disbanding and banning its nearly 400 branches across the country. Nine Jehovah's Witnesses were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in Russia today after...

Russia jails Jehovah’s Witness for 8 years after ‘mole’ secretly films worship meeting

(Reuters) - A court in southwestern Russia has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of organising "extremist activities", according to a spokesman for the group. Russia's Supreme Court...

Russia: Seven years in prison for four Jehovah’s witnesses for extremism

A Russian  court  has sentenced four  Jehovah's Witnesses to seven years  in prison   each   for coordinating  extremist activities , according to the religious group's spokesman . [caption id="attachment_8497" align="aligncenter" width="1290"] Religious life in Russia is determined by the Orthodox Church, which is supported by Putin, resulting in...

RUSSIA: Fourth post-prison Jehovah’s Witness deportation

Despite living half his life in Russia and marriage to a Russian citizen, 46-year-old Jehovah's Witness Rustam Seidkuliyev was deported to his native Turkmenistan in September after completing his jail term for exercising freedom of...

Nikolay Voishchev is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In October 2022, security forces broke into pensioner Nikolai Voishchev’s home. His house was searched, the man was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Nikolay was...

Russia, Cassation confirms a two years and six months sentence of a Jehovah’s Witness

HRWF (04.08.2023) – On 27 July 2023, the Fourth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation upheld the sentence and appeal ruling against Aleksandr Nikolaev, a resident of Kholmskaya – 2 years and 6 months in prison....

In Rare Move, Russian Court Acquits Two Jehovah’s Witnesses Of Extremism Charges

In a rare move, a Russian court has acquitted two Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism charges. The website of the religious group that is monitoring developments in Russia said on August 7 that a court in...

RUSSIA: Judges “ignore completely” amended Supreme Court guidance on Extremism Law application

Hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses and dozens of Muslims who read theologian Said Nursi's works have been jailed or given suspended sentences on "extremism" charges. October 2021 Supreme Court revised guidance for extremism trials directed judges...

Astrakhan Region: prosecutor demands eight years in colony for three Jehovah’s Witnesses

Rinat Kiramov, Sergey Korolyov, and Sergey Kosyanenko, the Jehovah's Witnesses*, whose case is being considered by the Akhtubinsky District Court, are under threat of long freedom deprivation terms under the charges of extremism. The prosecutor...

Russians in Crimea convict 4 Jehovah’s Witnesses for participation in “extremist community”

The occupation court of Yalta in the annexed Crimea has sentenced four followers of the Church of Jehovah's Witnesses to various terms of imprisonment, accusing them of participating in the organisation and financing of an...

Dagestani Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to appeal against suspended sentences

Four Jehovah's Witnesses* who were sentenced to suspended sentences withdrew their appeals against the verdict, and it came into force, the Supreme Court of Dagestan reported. The " Caucasian Knot " has reported that in...
Valery and Natalya Kriger outside Birobidzhan District Court

RUSSIA: Two trials, nine long jail terms

Eight of nine Jehovah's Witnesses convicted on extremism-related charges in two trials in Russia's Far East in December 2022 received jail terms of 6 to 7 years. An Amur Region Prosecutor's Office official justified the...