In four regions of Russia, citizens who are considered Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested almost simultaneously

On April 10, 18, 19 and 20, 2018, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Bashkiria, the Murmansk Region, the Primorye Territory and the Ivanovo Region. Four citizens were arrested.

On April 10, 2018, 8 searches were carried out simultaneously in Ufa . Appeals have been filed against the search order with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan. One of the citizens, a 32-year-old man, was arrested and is in jail until June 2, 2018.

On the evening of April 18, 2018, in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region), searches were carried out in the homes of local citizens. Two citizens, men 44 years old and 61 years old, who were seen in the police, do not get in touch. Presumably, they were arrested.

On April 19, 2018, law enforcement officers invaded one of the dwellings in Vladivostok. A 42-year-old man was arrested. He learned that he would be charged under Article 282. (organization of an extremist organization).

Since the morning of April 20, 2018, at least three searches in the homes of local residents have been carried out in the city of Shuya (Ivanovo region). One of the citizens, a 33-year-old man, was taken to the police.

Earlier, in January and February 2018, mass searches took place in Belgorod and Kemerovo. Citizens are suspected of continuing the activities of the organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia."

All searches and arrests were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. At the same time, the Russian authorities continue to maintain that this decision does not prohibit the practice of the Jehovah's Witnesses. A Danish citizen who has been in pre-trial detention since May 25, 2017, was taken into custody in Oryol on a similar charge. On July 21, 2017, the Memorial Human Rights Center recognized Dennis Christensen as a political prisoner.