31.01.2026 – The court in the Altai Territory begins to consider the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Sova – Alik Eliseev and Sergei Barsukov are accused under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE.
On December 30, 2025, the Slavgorod City Court of the Altai Territory received a criminal case of Jehovah’s Witnesses Alik Eliseev and Sergei Barsukov, who are accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code). On January 29, 2026, the court began to consider it on the merits.
30.01.2026 – Jehovah’s Witness from Birobidzhan is asked to be sentenced to eight years in prison in the second criminal case
Sova – Oleg Postnikov is accused under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE.
On January 30, 2026, in the debate of the parties in the case of Jehovah’s Witness Oleg Postnikov in the Birobidzhansky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the state prosecutor asked to find him guilty under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) and sentence to eight years in prison.
29.01.2026 – Services have been suspended in the Anglican Cathedral in Moscow
Sova – On January 26, 2026, it became known about the conflict in the Moscow Anglican community, which led to the suspension of worship services in the Cathedral of St. Andrey.
The conflict occurred between the believers and the community administration.
The parishioners complained that the administration does not let them into the cathedral and does not support the extension of the visa to the rector of the temple, priest Arun John.
According to the head of the parish Nicolette Kirk, the priest left Russia in the summer of 2025 to extend his passport and visa.
After his departure, the board of the cathedral, Sarah Harris and a group of parishioners seized control over the legal entity of the parish, bank accounts and restricted access to the church premises to the rest of the parishioners.
26.01.2025 – Shadrinsk Сourt sentences Ilya Yershov. Investigation considered talks about respect for people extremist
JW – On January 26, 2026, Judge Natalya Zvereva of the Shadrinskiy District Court fined Ilya Yershov, 39, 400,000 rubles.
The believer denies any guilt in extremism: “I was merely saying that we should respect other people, their circumstances, opinions, and personal boundaries.”
Ilya first faced prosecution for his religious beliefs in the summer of 2021, together with Aleksandr Lubin. Both believers were suspected of organizing the activities of a banned organization.
Ilya described how these events affected his family’s financial situation: “After the search and my detention in July 2021, I was forced to resign. My bank accounts were frozen, and I was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list as an extremist. These restrictions made it virtually impossible to find employment and, as a result, to provide financial support for my family.”
26.01.2025 – The prosecutor’s office suspended the construction of a rural mosque in Udmurtia
Sova – On January 26, 2026, it became known that the prosecutor’s office suspended the construction of the mosque in the village of Karakulino, Karakulin district of Udmurtia.
The site for construction was provided to the religious organization “Mahalla of Malopurginsky District” in the summer of 2023. At the same time, the district administration changed the type of permitted use of this site – initially it was supposed to build a school here.
26.01.2026 – The court deprived the RBO of the status of a religious organization
Sova – On November 21, 2025, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow refused to recognize the Russian Bible Society (RBO) as a religious organization.
Recall that the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation initiated the deprivation of the RBO of the status of a religious organization.
At the end of January 2026, it became known that the reasoned decision in the case has not yet been made, although according to the law no more than 10 days are allotted for its production.
23.01.2026 – DESS: Wherever Russia goes, freedom of belief ceases to exist
Risu – This information was reported by the State Service on Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS).
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, at least 67 clergymen have been killed due to the actions of the occupying authorities, and nearly 650 instances of damage or destruction of religious buildings have been documented.
Vyacheslav Gorshkov, Head of the DESS’s Department for Religious Affairs, participated in the presentation of the report.
He emphasized that despite the ongoing war, Ukraine is committed to protecting freedom of conscience in the territories under its control. In contrast, in the Russian model, religion is incorporated into a repressive system.
23.01.2025 – “They’re not judging me, but my faith.” One of Jehovah’s Witnesses fined for his beliefs
JW – On January 23, 2026, Valeriy Minsafin, a resident of Kurgan, 54, was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced to a fine of 400,000 rubles. The verdict was handed down by Judge Sergey Lushnikov of the Kurgan City Court.
Valeriy is a construction worker who, in recent years, has worked, as he puts it, “between interrogations and court hearings.
” The Minsafin family is close-knit: Valeriy and his wife Galina have been married for 29 years; they have two adult children and a grandson. The prosecution has taken a toll on the health of both spouses and their loved ones.
Against the backdrop of these events, Minsafin’s elderly mother suffered a heart attack.
22.01.2026 – The sentence of Buddhist Ilya Vasilyev for “fakes about the army” has been canceled. The case is being considered again
Sova – On October 22, 2025, the Moscow City Court overturned the sentence of the rector of the Moscow Zen Center and the founder of the “Civil School of Hackers” Ilya Vasilyev and sent the case for reconsideration.
Recall that in June, the Preobrazhensky Court of Moscow found Vasilyev guilty under paragraph “e” of Part 2 of Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code (public dissemination under the guise of reliable reports of knowingly false information containing data on the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, committed on the grounds of political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity) and sentenced him to eight years in prison for the 2022 post of shelling Kherson.
22.01.2026 – Vladlena Kukavitsa from Birobidzhan was again convicted for her faith.
JW – Vladlena Kukavitsa, 35, has been defending her right to freedom of religion for two years, the last 7 months—at a second trial in the Birobidzhan District Court.
Judge Olga Klyuchikova made the final decision on January 22, 2026.
The first court sentence (6 years suspended) was overturned by the court of appeal. Vladlena was accused of involving persons in the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it.
The case of the believer, like dozens of similar ones throughout the country, was based on the testimony of an informant.
Vladlena believes that in her conversations with Zhukova-Suvorova, who turned out to be an embedded agent, there were no manifestations of extremism.
22.01.2026 – Prisoner of conscience from Crimea released after nearly 6 years in custody
JW – Sergey Filatov, a 53-year-old Jehovah’s Witness from Crimea, was released from Correctional Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don on January 21, 2026. A father of four, he fully served the sentence imposed—he had been in custody since March 2020.
Over the years of imprisonment, Sergey was held in a pretrial detention center as well as in two colonies and was able to adapt to the difficult conditions.
“The hardest part was that so many cellmates smoke. I would walk into a cell and there’d be a thick, bluish cloud of smoke. I breathed fresh air through a little opening in the window,” Sergey Filatov said. “Because of that, I had to explain my position.
To be firm about it. But I tried to apply what the Bible teaches—to treat people the way I would want to be treated. As a result, my relationships with everyone turned out very good.”
19.01.2026 – A Muslim organization was liquidated in Evpatoria
Sova – At the end of December 2025, it became known that the Muslim community “Khan Jami” was liquidated in Evpatoria on May 7, 2025. The decision on liquidation was made by the Supreme Court of Crimea.
The community filed counterclaims against the administration of Evpatoria and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea and Sevastopol, under whose jurisdiction “Khan Jami” was not included.
