Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

New Searches in Tambov Region. Prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in This Region Has Been Ongoing for 15 Years Already

Tambov Region

At least seven searches took place on March 27, 2025, in Tambov at the homes of those whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated against one believer. He is suspected of "organizing the activity of a religious association... by organizing religious presentations and meetings for worship."

The search warrants were issued by the Leninskiy District Court of Tambov at the request of the local Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Cell phones, laptops, tablets, external storage devices, notebooks, and personal notes were confiscated from the believers. In one case, law enforcement officers took away a book by religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko, and in another, according to the owners, law enforcement officers said that "you can't have a Bible at home, but you need to buy it in church, if needed."

Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tambov Region faced prosecution because of their faith back in 2010, when the first searches were carried out and an investigation under an extremist article began. Later, the ECHR declared the incident a violation of religious freedom and awarded compensation to the believers. Despite condemnation from the international community, the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues.

The Case of Mikhailov in Tambov

Case History
In February 2025, the Tambov Directorate of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Andrey Mikhailov. He learned about this when a series of searches were carried out in his house and the homes of other Jehovah’s Witnesses in March.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Tambov Region
Locality:
Tambov
Suspected of:
"carried out deliberate actions of an organizational nature... by convening meetings of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, organizing religious talks and meetings for worship" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)
Court case number:
12502680011000013
Initiated:
February 26, 2025
Current case stage:
preliminary investigation
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Case History
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