Case History
In March 2023, a criminal case was initiated against the peaceful citizens of Lesnoy, Pavel Loshchinin and Andrey Bannykh, as well as Andrey Kozhushko who lives in the village of Tayezhnyy. For discussing the Bible together, the investigation suspects the believers of “organizing the study of extremist materials and other religious literature”. In April, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation conducted searches at 6 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses as part of this case. Andrey Bannykh is one of the believers whose complaint was satisfied by the ECHR, declaring the prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia unlawful. The case went to court in May 2024.