Born in Soviet Uzbekistan, Rustam Diarov had his Russian citizenship revoked in February 2025 while he was in jail to punish him for participation in Jehovah’s Witness meetings. On 17 February 2026, prison authorities released Diarov early on health grounds and by the following evening he was in Uzbekistan. His wife, a Russian citizen, went with him. Interior Ministry authorities have revoked the Russian citizenship of at least 12 Jehovah’s Witnesses and 2 Muslims convicted for exercising freedom of religion. The practice “has been gaining momentum over the past year”, Jehovah’s Witnesses observe.

Interior Ministry authorities are revoking the Russian citizenship of an increasing number of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a direct result of these individuals’ convictions for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief. At least 12 people who gained citizenship by naturalisation have lost it after being found guilty of “continuing the activities” of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ organisations after the nationwide ban on their activities. At least five are known to have been expelled from Russia as a consequence.

The practice “has been gaining momentum over the past year”, the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses observes, though it is unknown why this should be the case

Forum 18 is aware of two Jehovah’s Witnesses whose citizenship was revoked in 2021, one in 2023, and two in 2024. As many as 7 appear to have lost their citizenship in 2025. One Muslim is known to have had his citizenship revoked in 2019, with the same apparently occurring to another some three years later

Four of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are known to have been made stateless at the moment their Russian citizenship was rescinded

“What does this mean for believers and their families in practice? Some risk further discrimination based on their religion in their country of birth, others will be separated from their families for an indefinite period, and still others may become stateless due to paperwork red tape,” the European Association noted.

On 7 February 2025, Orenburg Region’s branch of the Interior Ministry issued a decision rescinding the Russian citizenship of Uzbek-born Jehovah’s Witness Rustam Diarov and invalidating his Russian passport (which was confiscated). He was then serving an 8-year jail term for continuing to meet for worship with fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses

Diarov argued in his unsuccessful appeal that the decision “significantly violates his rights, in particular, with respect to his private and family life”. He pointed out that his mother and wife are both Russian citizens and resident in Russia, and his mother “requires constant care due to her age and state of health”

On 17 February 2026, prison authorities released Diarov early on health grounds. He left the country by plane shortly after his release, and by the evening of 18 February, had arrived in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent. He was accompanied by his wife Yelena Diarova, who is a Russian citizen

Forum 18 asked the Orenburg Region branch of the Interior Ministry why they had rescinded Diarov’s citizenship when this would make him stateless and whether (and for how long) he is now barred from re-entering Russia. Forum 18 has received no response

Five of the 12 Jehovah’s Witnesses whose citizenship is known to have been revoked have already been expelled from or have left Russia. Two are still imprisoned. Three are serving the probationary periods of their suspended sentences. The situation of the other two is unknown

in 2025, Interior Ministry officials in Irkutsk rescinded the Russian citizenship of Ukrainian-born Mikhail Moysh. He is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence in the Tuva Republic in southern Siberia. After his release, it is likely that he will be obliged to leave Russia. He and his wife Yelena have two children, one of whom was born in Russia

Ukrainian-born Irina Khvostova from Magadan, who received a suspended sentence and is on probation until October 2026, is now a stateless person with no passport (see below).

Forum 18 asked both the Federal Interior Ministry and the office of Federal Human Rights Ombudsperson Tatyana Moskalkova why the citizenship of these Jehovah’s Witnesses could be rescinded if this would leave them stateless, and why they were being expelled from Russia when they posed no public danger. Forum 18 has received no response from either