Since 2017, over 900 criminal prosecutions, resulting in over 1,000 years of prison sentences on bogus charges of extremism
Apart from several religious minorities in China, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia are the faith community that is most persecuted by the state in the world but most human rights or religious freedom organizations fail to report about this severe repression.
Jarrod Lopes, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, recently stated in a press release: “Local Russian authorities with religious animus for non-Orthodox believers continue to unjustly target Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since 2017, there have been more than 900 criminal prosecutions, resulting in over 1,000 years of prison sentences on bogus charges of extremism. Authorities have unconscionably tortured innocent men, imprisoned the elderly and disabled, and deployed Soviet-era tactics of infiltration and surveillance. By attacking Jehovah’s Witnesses for peacefully practicing their Christian beliefs, Russian authorities have become what they claim to be fighting—extremists.”
Despite 2024 giving signs the crackdown was subsiding, 2025 saw an increase in home raids, prosecutions, and prison sentences over the previous year.
The Human Toll
Valeriy Baylo died in custody in 2025 due to not receiving proper medical care. (link)
Aleksey Lelikov, 64, a disabled piano teacher who reached the finals of Krasnodar’s “Teacher of the Year” competition in 1994, was sentenced in February to 6.5 years in prison. He had no criminal record. (link)
Anatoliy Marunov, 72, is serving 6.5 years despite having a stroke and a prostate tumor. When he needed life-saving surgery, courts refused to reduce his sentence. In a cruel irony, Moscow’s mayor recently sent the separated couple a congratulatory letter on their 50th wedding anniversary, praising them as “an example for young people” and wishing them “many happy years together in a loving family home.”
2025 By the Numbers
- 107 raids conducted
- 61 new defendants charged
- 125 believers convicted, 38 sent to prison
- 179 remain imprisoned, including 37 over age 60
- 30 people (80% of those imprisoned) received sentences exceeding five years
- Four believers sentenced to seven years—the harshest penalties of the year
Since 2017, 906 individuals have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Courts have convicted 665, with 215 receiving prison sentences.
Systematic Abuses
Torture and violence: At least eight cases of unprovoked violence and cruel treatment occurred in 2025, bringing the total to over 70 victims across eight years. No perpetrator has faced justice.
Targeting the vulnerable: Nearly one-third of defendants (266 people) are over 60. At least 81 have serious health conditions; 34 are officially disabled. Currently, 36 seriously ill believers languish in colonies and detention centers where proper medical care is often impossible.
Family persecution: At least 172 prosecuted believers have relatives facing similar charges. In 2025 alone, authorities opened cases against four married couples. “It’s become a gold mine for law enforcement,” one defense lawyer observed. “Why go after real criminals? That’s dangerous. It’s much easier to target relatives of Jehovah’s Witnesses already under investigation.”
Secret informants: At least 30 criminal cases rely on testimony from undercover agents who infiltrated congregations, some for years, posing as Bible students. Agent Yekaterina Petrova’s surveillance of 17 believers—including elderly individuals—led to prison sentences up to eight years. Yet even these spies can only confirm believers discuss the Bible and pray.
Citizenship revocation: In 2025—at least 12 convicted believers had their acquired Russian citizenship annulled, facing deportation and indefinite family separation. Mikhail Moysh hasn’t seen his two young sons since October 2021; deportation could extend that separation indefinitely. (link)
Jehovah’s Witnesses banned in Russia in 2017: Some International Criticism
Since the 2017 decision by Russia’s Supreme Court (upheld on appeal) that liquidated the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ legal entities and effectively banned their activity in Russia, several international courts and bodies have formally criticized or condemned Russia’s actions as persecution or violations of human rights, including religious freedom.
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
Key judgments:
On June 7, 2022, the ECHR ruled that Russia’s 2017 ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses was unlawful and in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. It ordered Russia to end criminal prosecutions, release imprisoned Jehovah’s Witnesses, and return confiscated property or pay compensation.
Subsequent ECHR rulings (e.g., March 6, 2025, in Loginov and Others v. Russia) also found violations related to detention and mistreatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The ECHR has repeatedly found that Russia’s actions violated freedom of religion and association protections under the Convention.
United Nations Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
The CCPR (which monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) has issued Views concluding that Russia violated Jehovah’s Witnesses’ rights under Article 18 (freedom of religion) and Article 22 (freedom of association) in specific cases involving liquidations of local religious organizations. It ordered Russia to take corrective measures, though implementation has been lacking.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
The OSCE Permanent Council (including statements from the EU and participating states such as Australia, Canada, and Norway) publicly condemned Russia’s ban and called on Russia to respect freedom of assembly and religion, emphasizing Russia’s international human rights commitments.
European Union (EU) and European Institutions
The European Union, often speaking through the OSCE framework or its own foreign policy statements, has criticized the ban and persecution as incompatible with international human rights standards and Russia’s obligations.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International publicly denounced the 2017 ban as “an assault on freedom of assembly and conscience,” framing it as a serious regression in religious freedom protections.
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
The USCIRF, an independent U.S. federal body focused on global religious freedom, condemned the Supreme Court ban and subsequent decisions, and welcomed the ECHR’s ruling against Russia’s actions. It has urged Russia to respect religious freedom and cease persecution.
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