Jehovah's Witnesses from Yugorsk Fined. Previously they Had Been Fully Acquitted

On June 8, 2026, Judge Valeriy Kolobaev of the Yugorskiy District Court found Ivan Sorokin, 47, and Andrey Zhukov, 53, guilty of extremism. They were fined 700,000 and 650,000 rubles, respectively. The prosecutor had requested 9 years in a penal colony for each of them.

Their alleged crime was holding religious meetings and discussing Bible topics. In August 2023, the court of first instance fully acquitted Andrey and Ivan. However, the court of appeal overturned that decision and sent the case for new consideration.

During the years of prosecution, both believers spent time in a temporary detention facility, were placed under a recognizance agreement, and had their bank accounts blocked. The Zhukovs were expecting their second child during that period, while the Sorokins were raising two children, one of whom was a minor.

The believers still do not admit any guilt. Andrey Zhukov emphasized: "My religious beliefs would never allow me to promote any extremist ideas or incite others to enmity or hatred... I simply want to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who carried out his ministry together with his disciples and shared the good news with others."

In two similar retrials following acquittal — the cases of Barmakin and Khabarov — the believers were given terms in a penal colony: 8 years and 2 years and 4 months, respectively. However, in the cases of Yuriy Zalipaev and Kirill Gushchin, residents of Kabardino-Balkaria, their acquittals remained in force after a series of retrials and appeals.