Russia Intensifies Crackdown on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Occupied Crimea and Across the Federation

Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan

November 21, 2025

HRRC condemns Russia’s continued persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in both occupied Crimea and within its own territory, calling these actions a clear violation of freedom of religion and international human rights obligations. We urge the immediate release of all detainees and an end to the criminalization of peaceful worship.

[Image credit: Dmitry Tischenko]

Russia’s persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses continues to escalate both in occupied Crimea and within its own territory, despite international rulings declaring such actions unlawful. According to the Crimean Human Rights Group, at least 14 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been convicted in Crimea between July and September 2025, with raids, detentions and harsh sentences handed down by occupation “courts.” Recent cases include the six-year sentence of Viktor Urs and the prosecution of 70-year-old Tamara Brattseva, whose lawyer said her only “guilt” was praying and reading the Bible. Ukraine has urged the international community to condemn these violations and demand the release of all detainees.

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center reports that 33 Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently being prosecuted in occupied Crimea, with 14 imprisoned in penal colonies. This ongoing repression persists despite a 2022 European Court of Human Rights judgment ordering Russia to drop all criminal cases, free detainees and return confiscated property.

Across Russia, persecution has intensified since the 2017 nationwide ban on the denomination. Hundreds have been subjected to raids, detentions and long prison terms for peaceful religious activity. As of September 2025, 157 Jehovah’s Witnesses remain behind bars. International bodies, including the ECHR, UN Human Rights Committee, and Council of Europe, have repeatedly condemned Russia’s actions, citing violations of freedom of religion and international humanitarian law.

The continued criminalization of peaceful worship highlights the systematic nature of Russia’s repression of religious communities in both occupied territories and within its own borders.

---

Glossary 

• Condemned – Criticized strongly for being wrong or harmful.

• Confiscated – Taken away by authorities, usually without permission.

• Convicted – Found guilty of a crime by a court.

• Denomination – A recognized religious group or branch

• Detainees – People kept in custody by authorities.

• Detentions – The act of holding someone in custody.

• Dissent – Disagreement with official policies or opinions.

• Penal colonies – Prisons where people are sent to serve long or harsh sentences.

• Prosecution – The legal process of charging someone with a crime and taking them to court.

• Raids – Sudden searches carried out by police or security forces.

• Repression – Harsh control or punishment to stop people from acting or expressing themselves freely.

---

References 

1. https://zmina.info/en/news-en/russia-persists-in-illegal-prosecution-of-crimean-jehovahs-witnesses-jails-man-for-six-years-crimean-human-rights-group/ 

2. https://ctrcenter.org/en/n-occupied-crimea-33-people-have-been-subjected-to-illegal-persecution-in-the-jehovahs-witnesses-case-ctrc

3. https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/russia/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/

4. https://www.britannica.com/place/Crimea/History 

5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jehovahs-Witnesses