New Criminal Cases in Vilyuchinsk. Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched

On March 29, 2026, a wave of searches of homes of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Kamchatka. A criminal case has been initiated against Yevgeniya Vasilyeva, 50, and Pavel Baturov, 33, under an article for extremism. In a second criminal case against the believers, there are four more suspects.

A few days earlier, Major of Justice Vladislav Bogdanov, head of the Investigative Department for the closed city of Vilyuchinsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory, initiated a case against local Jehovah's Witnesses. They are suspected of "participating in religious events and teaching the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses" to the residents of Vilyuchinsk. The homes of Vasilyeva, Baturov and other Jehovah's Witnesses were invaded by officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. According to available information, 10 searches took place and Bibles and electronic devices were seized. One of the believers reported that law enforcement officers behaved rudely, used obscene expressions, did not allow her to have a drink, take medication or use the toilet.

In Kamchatka, 11 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith.