31.10.2025 – One of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Novosibirsk served his forced labor and released on parole
JW – The Novosibirsk Regional Court supported the petition of Dmitriy Dolzhikov’s defense for parole—he was released on the same day, October 24, 2025. The believer is very glad that now he will be able to take care of his elderly mother, father with a disability and brother, who requires constant help for health reasons.
On June 30, 2023, the court of first instance found Dmitriy guilty of extremism for participating in Bible discussions and sentenced him to three years in a penal colony and a year of restriction of liberty, replacing the imprisonment with forced labor. More than two years later, Dmitriy applied for parole. The court refused, but Dmitriy did not give up and appealed this decision.
30.10.2025 – Believers from Iturup Island found guilty again.
JW – Six months ago, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court sentenced Larisa Potapova and Olga Kalinnikova to 2.5 years suspended for Bible discussions. Now, on October 29, 2025, Judge Galina Masterkova imposed significantly harsher penalties: 4 years and 11 months suspended for Potapova, and 5 years suspended for Kalinnikova.
The retrial meant the women had to fly to Sakhalin again to defend their right to freedom of religion. Olga admits: “In a situation of criminal prosecution, there’s little we can control. The only thing we can and must do is be Christian.”
29.10.2025 – Search and overnight interrogations in Murmansk region
JW – On October 15, 2025, security forces conducted a search in the town of Polyarniy at the home of a woman who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She was taken to the Snezhnogorsk police department after midnight and interrogated until 6 a.m.
The search began at 4:00 p.m., while the woman was not at home. Her husband was thrown to the floor and handcuffed by the officers. According to the woman, when she arrived, law enforcement spoke to her rudely, used profanity, and told her that “invoking Article 51 of the Russian Constitution won’t help you.” Electronic devices were seized from the family. The woman was not given a copy of the search report.
That same night, at least one other woman from a nearby village was also interrogated by the authorities.
The last time searches were conducted in the Murmansk Region was in 2021.
29.10.2025 – Five defendants, three in detention.
JW – On October 23, 2025, a search was conducted at the home of Andrey Privalov, 48, and his wife in the town of Abaza (Republic of Khakassia). Since their house had been damaged by fire earlier, they were temporarily staying with relatives. The search was carried out at their place as well.
According to preliminary information, the investigative actions were conducted by the investigative body that previously organized the searches in the settlements of Mayna and Sizaya. Electronic devices, several copies of the Bible, and personal notes were seized from the Privalovs.
Andrey Privalov was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility at the police station in the town of Uyar.
28.10.2025 – Search and arrest in Vladikavkaz.
JW – On October 20, 2025, Sabina Albegova, 26, a resident of Vladikavkaz, was arrested. The Investigative Committee charged her with extremism for participating in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Two days later, the court sent the believer to a pretrial detention center.
A few hours before Sabina’s arrest, at 6 a.m., the house of her husband’s parents was searched. Electronic devices were seized from the owners and their guests. The task force was led by Mikhail Tuayev, investigator of the Investigative Committee.
28.10.2025 – In Saratov, a teenager stabbed a Muslim woman in the back
Sova – On October 25, 2025, in Saratov on Stolypin Avenue, a teenager stabbed a 35-year-old resident of the city in the back.
A video shot a few minutes before the crime appeared on social networks. A woman with a cape on her head got on the footage. The cameraman was chasing her from behind. At the same time, he said that “now [it’s not soot] for someone to be”.
The victim managed to resist. She was hospitalized.
During the operational search activities, the identity of the attacker was established. It turned out to be a 17-year-old teenager. Law enforcement agencies reported that, according to one version, the motive for the crime could be religious hatred. “Because of religious hatred that she is a Muslim, he came up and hit her,” the media quoted the source.
The suspect has been detained.
The Investigative Committee of the Frunzensky District initiated a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 30, Part 2 of Art. 105 of the Criminal Code (attempted murder).
22.10.2025 – Ukraine and Russia: Religion and its Role in the Conflict
G20 interfaith forum- On October 20, 2025, the G20 Interfaith Forum’s Anti-Racism Initiative, in partnership with the Group of 78 and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation, held a webinar entitled “Ukraine and Russia: Religion and its Role in the Conflict.”
Speakers included Dr. Stepan Bilynskyy, MD, MA, Spiritual Health Practitioner at Grace Hospital (Winnipeg Regional Health Authority), Permanent Deacon, and Co-leader of Manitoba Jewish-Catholic Dialogue; and Dr. Dmytro Vovk, Director of the Center for Rule of Law and Religion Studies at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University in Ukraine and Visiting Professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Dr. James Christie,Reverend and Professor Emeritus of Theology at the University of Winnipeg, moderated the discussion.
23.10.2025 – In Yoshkar-Ola, the court banned a group of unregistered Baptists at the request of the prosecutor’s office
Sova – On July 6, 2025, it became known that the Yoshkar-Ola Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit in court, demanding “to prohibit the activities of the association of citizens – Evangelical Christian Baptists… until violations of federal legislation are eliminated by sending a notification of the beginning of the activities of the religious group”. We are talking about representatives of the unregistered brotherhood.
Believers gather for joint prayer in a residential building for several decades.
“The association of citizens – evangelical Christian Baptists carries out a religion, respectively, its activities affect the rights and legitimate interests of an indefinite circle of persons,” lawyer Anatoly Pchelintsev quotes the statement of claim.
On July 24, the Yoshkar-Ola City Court banned the group’s activities. On October 23, this decision was confirmed by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Mari El.
22.10.2025 – Judicial statistics on “illegal missionary” cases for the first half of 2025 have been published
Sova – On October 20, 2025, the Judicial Department of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation published statistical data on the application of Art. 5.26 Administrative Code (violation of the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and religious associations) in the first half of 2025.
According to these data, in the first six months of 2025, the courts considered 292 cases under this article. This is more than for the same period of 2024 (187 cases).
22.10.2025 – How the Russian Orthodox Church became a weapon of political warfare – Analysis
FPRI — The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has become a central pillar of the Kremlin’s political and informational warfare strategy, which shapes narratives by fusing spirituality with nationalism. Through doctrines like the “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir) and appeals to shared Orthodox identity, Moscow weaponizes faith to justify aggression and extend its ideological reach.
These narratives have influenced attitudes in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and across parts of Africa and Europe—undermining Western integration, sowing local skepticism toward NATO and the EU, and reinforcing pro-Kremlin movements through cultural affinity and religious symbolism.
22.10.2025 – Court considered Irina Zinina from Vyselki to be an extremist.
JW – A 2-year suspended sentence was given to Irina Zinina, 37, on October 21, 2025 by the Vyselkovskiy District Court. She was found guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. In June, the court made a similar decision in the case of her mother, Lyudmila, a pensioner with serious illnesses.
“Due to the application of this law [on extremism — ed.] many people are getting the wrong impression of me,” Irina addressed the court on the eve of the announcement of the verdict. “Still, there are a lot of sympathetic people who are outraged by the fact that they unfairly initiate criminal cases against law-abiding, decent people.
21.10.2025 – More long jail sentences, removals of citizenship
Forum 18 – Courts handed at least 3 Jehovah’s Witnesses long jail terms for exercising freedom of religion since September. A Samara court jailed Samvel Babayan for 7 years. A Saransk court jailed Ivan Neverov for 7 years, Mikhail Shevchuk for 6 years 6 months. Neither the court nor the Prosecutor’s Office would explain the long jail terms or who Neverov and Shevchuk might have harmed. Interior Ministry officials rescinded Irina Khvostova’s citizenship. Within minutes of release from prison on 13 October, police took Armenian citizen Vardan Zakaryan to prepare his expulsion.
In a typical recent case, a court in Saransk, capital of the Republic of Mordoviya, handed two Jehovah’s Witnesses long prison sentences on 19 September for exercising their freedom of religion or belief. It jailed 39-year-old Ivan Neverov for 7 years and 38-year-old Mikhail Shevchuk for 6 years and 6 months. The court convicted them on charges of “Organisation of the activities of a banned extremist organisation”. Prosecutors had requested 9 years’ imprisonment for Neverov, and 8 years for Shevchuk.
20.10.2025 – Another Jehovah’s Witness tortured during arrest
Forum 18 – Armed National Guard personnel tortured 58-year-old Mikhail Proshenkov with a stun gun while searching his home on 3 September. Proshenkov was one of five Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested during early-morning raids in Saratov. The National Guard in Saratov did not respond to Forum 18’s questions on the torture, while Saratov Region Human Rights Commissioner Nadezhda Sukhova refused to answer. On two successive days, Zelenokumsk prison administration forced 60-year-old Jehovah’s Witness Anna Safronova to stand for over 10 hours. Officials refused to open a criminal case against the perpetrators.
Armed National Guard personnel tortured 58-year-old Jehovah’s Witness Mikhail Proshenkov with a stun gun while searching his home on 3 September. Proshenkov was one of five Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested during early-morning raids on several households in Saratov. Investigators subsequently charged the five with organising the activities of a banned “extremist” organisation for continuing to meet for worship.
17.10.2025 – Court in Uray convicted Andrey Sazonov for the third time.
JW – Andrey Sazonov ordered to pay 450,000 rubles — this was the verdict heard on October 17, 2025, by one of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Uray. It is the third time that the Uray City Court has found him guilty in the same case of extremism.
From the early 2000s, Andrey Sazonov worked at a local heat supply company and at the time of his arrest was the first deputy general director. He lost his job due to the prosecution. “When the criminal case began,” says Andrey, “the director and colleagues immediately began signing a petition so that I would not be taken into custody. Within just half an hour, about 80 people had signed.
