13.03.2026 – A preacher was fined in the Chelyabinsk region
Sova – On March 11, 2026, it became known that in the Chelyabinsk region the preacher was fined for street evangelization.
The reason was a video report on missionary activity discovered by law enforcement agencies. The video shows several young people with posters “Love is” and “Hell or Paradise”. At the same time, the participants of the event had documents confirming the authority to conduct missionary activities.
Nevertheless, the court found one of the participants guilty under Part 2 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code (organization or holding of a public event without filing) and fined him 20 thousand rubles.
12.03.2025 – One of Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested in Chuvashia.
JW – On March 7, 2026, the Moskovskiy District Court of Cheboksary sent Albert Pilshchikov, 45, to a pretrial detention center. A day earlier, he was detained in Naberezhnye Chelny on the grounds of a criminal case.
In 2020, Albert, who lived in Cheboksary at that time, was among the believers who were searched by law enforcement officers.
Over the past 9 years, criminal cases have been initiated against 10 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Chuvashia. These believers are mostly elderly people. One of the defendants received a 5-year suspended sentence — he will be 90 by the time he has served it.
11.03.2026 – Hieromonk of ROCOR(A) from Verkhoturye was convicted of justifying terrorism
Sova – O. Nikander was sentenced to five and a half years in a general regime colony.
On March 10, 2026, the hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad was sentenced in Yekaterinburg under the omophorion of Metropolitan Agafangel (ROCOR (A)) Nikander (Evgeny Pinchuk) under Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code (public justification of terrorism committed using the Internet).
11.03.2026 – In Dagestan, the court imposed another fine for keeping prohibited books at home
Sova – On February 3, 2026, the Caspian City Court of the Republic of Dagestan fined Kubat Askandarov a thousand rubles under Art. 20.29 Administrative Code (mass distribution of extremist materials).
It follows from the court ruling that at Askandarov’s house, police officers found the books “Notes on True Doctrine” by Muhammad Ibn Salah Ibn Usaymin and “The limit of the Wish. Summary of the book “The Right Way to Understanding The Monotheism” by Sheikh Salih ibn Abd al-Aziz Al al-Sheikh” by Muhammad ibn Hussein Al-Kahtani.
10.03.2026 – A Muslim community was fined in Moscow for “illegal missionary work”
Sova – On March 10, 2026, it became known that the Muslim community “Risalyat” in Moscow was fined for “illegal missionary work”.
The prosecutor’s inspection conducted in November 2025 established that the community had organized a prayer room, classrooms and a dining room in the premises of the business center on Ogorodny proezd. 150 people gathered for the prayer.
In addition, the inspection found religious literature in the room without marking a religious organization.
10.03.2026 – In Rostov-on-Don, the prosecutor’s office wants to liquidate the community of “unregistered” Baptists
Sova – On February 1, 2026, it became known that the prosecutor of the Kirovsky district of Rostov-on-Don appealed to the court with a demand to ban the activities of the community of the International Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists (MSC EHB) in Rostov.
The reason for applying to the court was the violations revealed during the inspection, in particular, the lack of notification of the beginning of the activities of the religious group. Community leaders do not consider it possible to notify state bodies, as they fundamentally refuse state registration.
04.03.2026 – Almost blind man in Shadrinsk convicted “for extremism”.
JW – On March 3, 2026, the Shadrinskiy District Court fined Vladimir Gaydyshev, 53, with severely impaired sight, 300,000 rubles for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, but in fact for peacefully practicing his faith.
Vladimir cannot see in the dark and in dimly lit rooms; he cannot read normal font size even with his glasses. He said that after the start of the prosecution, his eyesight got even worse: “I can hardly do even ordinary household chores.”
Moreover, he has several other health issues, including neurological. The believer needs regular treatment, but due to being under a recognizance agreement he could not receive sufficient medical care.
02.03.2026 – A resident of Karachay-Cherkessia was fined for a banned book
Sova – Arthur Erkenov, who lives in the Ust-Dzhegutinsky district of the republic, was found guilty under Art. 20.29 of the Administrative Code.
On February 16, 2026, the Ust-Dzhegutinsky District Court of Karachay-Cherkessia fined local resident Arthur Erkenov two thousand rubles. He was found guilty under Art. 20.29 Administrative Code (storage of extremist materials for mass distribution).
The reason for prosecution was a forbidden book found at Erkenov’s house. The court decision does not give the title of the book, but it is mentioned that the publication had a compiler and was banned by the decision of the Artemovsk City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region dated June 30, 2014.
