Actions of Law Enforcement Officers

Again Searches in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Two Under House Arrest

Krasnoyarsk Territory

On November 20, 2025, at 7 a.m., law enforcement officers carried out searches at four addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kansk. Afterward five believers were taken for interrogation. One man and one woman were placed under house arrest with tracking bracelets on their legs, while another woman was ordered not to leave her home at night.

Active religious prosecution in the Krasnoyarsk Territory began in 2018, shortly after the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia had been liquidated. Since then, at least 125 searches have taken place there. The last one — in September this year. Criminal cases against a total of 33 people from this region have been initiated; 5 are serving sentences in penal colonies.

The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk

Case History
In November 2025, the Investigative Committee in Kansk opened a criminal case against three believers — Andrey Sorokin, Yelena Kamenskaya, and Yelena Grosheva. The case was triggered by a report from a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible. Searches were carried out at the believers’ homes. Sorokin, Kamenskaya, and Grosheva were detained; later, Andrey was placed under house arrest, while the two women were restricted from certain activities. In December, all three were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.
Timeline

Persons in case

Grosheva
Yelena
Kamenskaya
Yelena
Sorokin
Andrey

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnoyarsk Territory
Locality:
Kansk
Suspected of:
“held educational discussions”, “went door-to-door in the city of Kansk, conducting explanatory work and thereby attracting new followers” (from the decision to initiate the criminal case)
Court case number:
12502040027000131
Initiated:
November 20, 2025
Current case stage:
preliminary investigation
Investigating:
Uyarskiy Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Case History
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