Case History
In June 2026, in the cities of Yarovoye and Slavgorod, Altai Territory, officers of the Investigative Committee detained Valeriy Firsov and Viktor Kovalenko, both 69, who practice the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were interrogated as suspects in participating in extremist activity and sent to a temporary detention facility. The following day, they were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Several months earlier, searches were conducted at the homes of the believers. After their detention, Viktor and Valeriy were placed under house arrest.