Russia: More Long Jail Sentences, Removals of Citizenship – Analysis

[dljbsp]

Eurasia Review — October 28, 2025 Courts across Russia continue to impose harsh prison sentences on Jehovah’s Witnesses for nothing more than peaceful worship. In one of the latest cases, two men in Saransk—Ivan Neverov and Mikhail Shevchuk—received prison terms of seven years and six and a half years for “organizing the activities of a banned extremist organization.” Prosecutors had sought even longer sentences.   At least four other Witnesses were convicted in October alone—one fined, others given suspended sentences later converted to imprisonment. Some have even lost Russian citizenship after conviction, including Irina Khvostova of Magadan, whose naturalized citizenship was rescinded in June 2025. In other cases, believers have been deported after serving their terms.   Since the 2017 Supreme Court ban on the Witnesses’ Administrative Center, more than 600 believers—living and even deceased—have been convicted. Many endure raids, surveillance, and financial restrictions under “extremism” provisions. Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain that their worship is peaceful and that these prosecutions target faith itself, not extremism.   🔗 Read the full analysis at Eurasia Review

[Sheep]

12 hours ago, dljbsp said:

. . . these prosecutions target faith itself, not extremism . . .

 

Really. It's motivated by hatred for our faith, but they won't admit that. In order to justify their hatred they have to lean on the extremism claim. So pathetic...