In Vladikavkaz, Searches Carried out at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses as Part of New Criminal Case for faith. Three Believers Under House Arrest

On July 10, 2026, in Vladikavkaz, law enforcement officers conducted searches at several addresses, interrogating 16 of Jehovah's Witnesses. Three of them — Khetag Dzhanayev and the couple Zaur and Zarema Tavitov — ended up in a temporary detention facility. On July 12, the court placed them under house arrest.

Searches began early in the morning simultaneously in several homes. One of them lasted more than 10 hours. Electronic devices and data carriers, including mobile phones and a camera, as well as personal notes, Bibles, and bank cards were seized from believers.

These are not the first Jehovah's Witnesses in the republic who have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Sabina Albegova from Vladikavkaz has been under investigation since October 2025 (her case is already under consideration in court), and since April 2026, Kristina Bazrova has found herself in the same circumstances.