Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Five More Jehovah’s Witnesses from Uyar Detained

Krasnoyarsk Territory

On Monday, February 3, 2026, security forces detained Uyar residents Sergey Soroka, Ivan Starikov, and Aleksandr Murlin. Two days later, they were placed in a pre-trial detention center. On Thursday, two more believers — Aleksandr and Zakhar Vakarev, a father and son — were detained at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. They had been declared wanted the day before.

Cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses in Uyar are being handled by Aleksandr Tkachenko, an investigator with the local branch of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. A few months earlier, she authorized the arrests of two other Uyar residents — Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov.

The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar

Case History
In October 2025, investigators from the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against residents of the town of Uyar, Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov. Their homes were searched, after which the court placed the elderly men in custody. The investigation classified the holding of peaceful worship services as organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kononov
Viktor
Safarov
Aflatun

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnoyarsk Territory
Locality:
Uyar
Suspected of:
"Organized and ensured the arrangement of the meeting... conducted educational debates based on the studied materials" (from the decision to initiate criminal case)
Court case number:
12502040043000057
Initiated:
October 23, 2025
Current case stage:
preliminary investigation
Investigating:
Uyarskiy Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Case History
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