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

On March 29, 2026, a wave of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Kamchatka. It is known that a criminal case was initiated against Yevgeniya Vasilyeva, 50, and Pavel Baturov, 33, under an extremist article. In the second criminal case against believers, there are 4 more suspects.

A few days earlier, the head of the investigation department for the closed administrative unit of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory, Major of Justice Vladislav Bogdanov, opened 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. 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 with the seizure of Bibles and electronic equipment. One of the believers reported that law enforcement officers behaved rudely, used obscene expressions, did not allow her to drink, take medications, and visit the toilet.

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