Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Searched in Seversk — Second Time in the Past 3 Weeks

Tomsk Region

Early in the morning on July 7, 2026, law enforcement officers conducted searches at the homes of at least three families of believers. The raid affected, among others, Andrey Ledyaykin and Andrey Kolesnichenko, who had already served suspended sentences for their faith.

The believers were taken for interrogation and then released. Bibles, electronic devices, and cards with Bible quotations were seized from the Kolesnichenko family. The operation was overseen by Investigator Varvara Yagovkina of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the closed city of Seversk for the Tomsk Region.

During the previous raid — in June 2026 — the homes of 11 believers in Seversk were searched, of whom 2 were also former prisoners of conscience.

Repeated prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses who have already served sentences for practicing their religion has become a trend. For example, this has happened to Aleksandr Bondarchuk from Kemerovo, Dmitriy Terebilov, from Kostroma, Aleksandr Serebryakov from Moscow, and Oleg Postnikov from Birobidzhan.

Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk

Case History
In July 2020, FSB and Investigative Committee officers, accompanied by two riot policemen, arrived at Andrey Ledyaikin’s place of work, the administration of Seversk, to pick up the believer for a search of his home. After in March 2021, the Investigation Department for ZATO Seversk opened a criminal case against Ledyaykin, he was forced to resign. Three days later, the court chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. In June 2021, Ledyaykin’s case was submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. It was considered by judge Ekaterina Soldatenko. The accusation is based on the testimony of FSB agent Kira Klisheva, who testified against 5 other Jehovah’s Witnesses in Seversk. The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a general regime colony for the believer. In April 2022, the court sentenced Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in a penal colony, and on July 14, the Tomsk Regional Court replaced this term with a suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Ledyaykin
Andrey

Criminal case

Region:
Tomsk Region
Locality:
Seversk
Suspected of:
"participated in religious meetings, which included, among other things, the sequential singing of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God" (from the indictment)
Court case number:
12102690003000021
Initiated:
March 25, 2021
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of the City of Seversk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-11/2022 (1-257/2021)
Court:
Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region
Judge:
Yekatarina Soldatenko
Case History

Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk

Case History
Andriy Kolesnichenko was accused of “participating in a closed secret meeting in the form of a collective religious service.” This is how the investigating authorities called the peaceful meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Seversk. In July 2020, FSB officers detained the believer right at his workplace, after which his house was searched. In March 2021, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Tomsk Region opened a criminal case against Kolesnichenko for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. After 3 months, it was submitted to the Seversky City Court. The accusation was based on the testimony of an informant who pretended to be interested in the Bible, recorded the services on video and handed them over to the FSB. The prosecutor requested that the believer be sentenced to 5 years in prison. In January 2022, Judge Yalchin Badalov sentenced Andrey to 4 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of additional restriction of freedom. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. In June 2022, the appellate court commuted the sentence, replacing it with 4 years of suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kolesnichenko
Andrey

Criminal case

Region:
Tomsk Region
Locality:
Seversk
Suspected of:
"participation in a closed secret meeting in the form of a collective religious service, consisting of the reproduction of audio and video recordings ... singing songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God"
Court case number:
12102690003000020
Initiated:
March 25, 2021
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of the City of Seversk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-10/2022 (1-256/2021)
Court:
Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Yalchin Badalov
Case History
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