In the 2024 calendar year and the first four months of 2025, there were at least 124 prosecutions across Russia under Administrative Code Article 5.26, Part 4 ("Russians conducting missionary activity") and Part 5 ("Foreigners conducting missionary activity"), according to Forum 18's review of available court records. The true number is believed to be higher.

The 124 prosecutions found by Forum 18 and figures recorded by the Supreme Court both suggest a slight increase on recent years.

The shift towards more prosecutions for Muslim religious activities, first observed by Forum 18 in 2019 and the first half of 2020, has continued.

(See here for a full analysis of such prosecutions between January 2024 and April 2025, and here for an analysis of the impact on foreign citizens.)

Forum 18 found 90 prosecutions in the 2024 calendar year (64 under Article 5.26, Part 4; 26 under Article 5.26, Part 5), and 34 prosecutions in January to April 2025 (26 under Part 4; 9 under Part 5). Six of these involved registered religious organisations, the remainder individuals, two of whom were charged as an "official person" (dolzhnostnoye litso).

First-instance courts (and in one case the police) convicted 107 defendants and acquitted three. They closed or sent a further 12 cases back to police or prosecutors. Two cases were dismissed because they reached court after the permitted three-month time period for administrative prosecutions had passed (the statute of limitations).

The period January 2024 to April 2025 therefore saw an initial conviction rate (for those cases which reached a verdict) of 96.4 per cent. All but six of those convicted received fines – a Muslim imam and two Baptist Union churches (tried twice each) were given warnings, and one Society for Krishna Consciousness adherent received no punishment as the statute of limitations had expired.

Defendants submitted initial appeals in 31 known cases, most of which were unsuccessful. Twelve individuals, mostly from southern Russia, have further challenged their convictions in the cassational courts – the majority of these have been heard in the 4th Cassational Court in Krasnodar.

Of the 35 foreigners charged under Article 5.26, Part 5 ("Foreigners conducting missionary activity"), 18 were ordered expelled from Russia, 14 of whom were sent to immigration detention centres before departure.

Amendments to several Articles of the Administrative Code, which came into force on 5 February 2025, mean that police are now able to handle Article 5.26, Part 5 cases without going to court. This allows police to impose both fines and administrative expulsion as punishment. It is therefore difficult to ascertain how many foreign citizens may be facing prosecution for unlawful "missionary activity", unless they manage to lodge appeals. Forum 18 has found only one instance of this so far.

Russia has also imposed its "anti-missionary" legislation in Ukrainian territories which it has illegally occupied.

These prosecutions are based on amendments to the Administrative Code and Religion Law introduced in July 2016 as part of the "Yarovaya" package of "anti-terrorism" laws.

Religious organisations also continue to face prosecution under Administrative Code Article 5.26, Part 3 ("Implementation of activities by a religious organisation without indicating its official full name, including the issuing or distribution, within the framework of missionary activity, of literature and printed, audio, and video material without a label bearing this name, or with an incomplete or deliberately false label").

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Full list of known "missionary activity" prosecutions

The list below of known administrative cases to punish "missionary activity" under Administrative Code Article 5.26, Part 4 ("Russians conducting missionary activity") and Part 5 ("Foreigners conducting missionary activity") is based on court decisions and other information known to Forum 18. Cases are listed in date order of initial decision.

JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2024

1) 15 January 2024
Part 4
Name: Yury Aleksandrovich Yungerov
Punishment: none – acquitted
Court: Kuybyshev District Magistrate's Court No. 45, St Petersburg
Circumstances: general director of "Afonsky Dom", company which takes prayer notes (for health or repose of deceased loved ones) from Orthodox believers to Mount Athos, charged with unlawful missionary activity for selling these notes at office on Nevsky prospekt; judge concluded (apparently with reference to 2018 Constitutional Court clarification) that practice was aimed solely at Orthodox believers and therefore not missionary activity.
Appeal: none

2) 18 January 2024
Part 4
Name: A. T. Magomedov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Arzgir District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: Muslim charged by police with having "conducted study and collective namaz in the presence of a group of believers, using residential premises for this .. which is not a place for the free implementation of missionary activity", without written authorisation from religious group, and without having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of creation of religious group.
Appeal: none

3) 21 January 2024
Part 4
Name: M. A. Yakhiyayev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Grachyovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: Muslim imam charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism for conducting unspecified missionary activity without having submitted notification of continuation of religious group's activities.
Appeal: none

4) 26 January 2024
Part 4
Name: German Petrovich Adrian
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Cherlak District Magistrate's Court No. 105, Omsk Region
Circumstances: after police and FSB visit to church, Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged with conducting "a ritual and cult event 'service' (performance of collective prayer and religious songs) as a preacher and leader of the religious group 'House of Prayer of the South Podolsk Church of the Cherlak District of the International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists'" in his own house; judge concluded that defendant disseminated "information about the doctrine of 'Christianity' of this group among persons who are not members of this religious group, with the purpose of involving these persons in .. the religious group, conducted ceremonies and services on the premises of his home among persons who are not members of the religious group by appealing to their consciousness, will, feelings, including by disclosure by the person carrying out missionary activity of his own religious views and convictions, without observing the notification procedure for the activities of this religious group", ie. notifying the Justice Ministry.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 26 February 2024, Cherlak District Court, Omsk Region; cassational appeal unsuccessful – 25 April 2024, 8th Cassational Court, Kemerovo

5) 20 February 2024
Part 4
Name: Konstantin Lvovich Loskutov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Maykop Magistrate's Court No. 8, Republic of Adygeya
Circumstances: pastor of Fellowship of Christian Businesspeople – details unknown
Appeal: none

6) 26 February 2024
Part 4
Name: Magomed G. Nutsalov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Grachyovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: Muslim, "acting in the role of imam", charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism for having "conducted worship services and other religious rites" for "Traditional Islam of Beshpagir village" religious group without written authorisation to carry out missionary activity on its behalf, and without submitting notification to the Justice Ministry of continuation of activities of religious group.
Appeal: none

7) 7 March 2024
Part 4
Name: Local Religious Organisation Orthodox Parish of the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah, Tashla Village, Tashla District, Orenburg Region, Buzuluk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Tashla District Magistrate's Court, Orenburg Region
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of compliance with Extremism Law, Orthodox parish charged with not displaying sign with its full official name on the building where it is registered, or at its entrance (sign instead read "Church of the Prophet of God Elijah, Buzuluk Diocese"); legal representative cited November 2020 Constitutional Court resolution on Part 3, which states that this is not required – judge concludes that this only applies to residential buildings, while church's registration address is in a non-residential building.
Appeal: partially successful (offence deemed to be minor, fine therefore overturned) – 4 April 2024, Tashla District Court, Orenburg Region

8) 14 March 2024
Part 4
Name: Sh. A. Ibragimov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Trunovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: leader of religious group charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having led services without having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of continuation of activities of religious group; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification; religious affiliation unknown.
Appeal: none

9) 15 March 2024
Part 4
Name: Yury Aleksandrovich Goncharov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Zelenograd District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: after Interior Ministry Counter-Extremism Centre monitoring of Telegram channel "RPTs Tsarskaya Imperiya", Orthodox Christian charged with making "religious materials freely accessible outside of places specially designated for the implementation of this activity, on behalf of an unregistered religious organisation of the pseudo-Orthodox persuasion, the Russian Orthodox Church of the Tsarist Empire", which he had posted about on the channel.
Appeal: rejected because of missing signature of defendant – 11 November 2024, Moscow City Court

10) 18 March 2024
Part 4
Name: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Chmykh
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Neustroyev, Kostyuchenko, Popov, Antonyuk, and Slizovsky (below); Baptist pastor charged with having "organised and conducted worship services in Kurganinsk [two-day fellowship event of Caucasian Association of Council of Churches], by which he violated the requirements of the law on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and religious associations, namely he did not submit in the established order notification of the beginning of the activities of the religious group to the Justice Ministry".
Appeal: unsuccessful – 28 May 2024, Kurganinsk District Court, Krasnodar Region

11) 21 March 2024
Part 4
Name: Dmitry Leonidovich Skripka
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Shpakovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 5, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: leader of House of God Protestant religious group charged by police with having "conducted religious service with parishioners", not having submitted notification to the Justice Ministry of the continuation of religious group's activities.
Appeal: none

12) March/April 2024
Part 4
Name: Nikolay Ivanovich Medvedev
Punishment: none – found guilty but statute of limitations expired
Court: unknown Maykop Magistrate's Court, Republic of Adygeya
Circumstances: according to police, Society for Krishna Consciousness adherent in the City Park of Culture and Recreation "disseminated information about his religious doctrine among persons who were not members of this religious association, while distributing religious literature and chanting the mantra 'Hare Krishna', in order to familiarise people with Indian culture, while not having documents of state registration of a religious organisation".
Appeal: unsuccessful – 18 April 2024, Maykop City Court, Republic of Adygeya

13) 1 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Igor Yevgenyevich Sobolevsky
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Lazarevsky District Magistrate's Court No. 93, Sochi, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: unsuccessful – 20 June 2024, Lazarevsky District Court, Sochi, Krasnodar Region

14) 1 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Vitaly Dmitryevich Timoshin
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: October District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Saransk, Republic of Mordoviya
Circumstances: Council of Churches Baptist charged with having held worship meetings and disseminated information about Baptist beliefs among people who were not members of his religious group – further details unknown.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 16 May 2024, October District Court, Saransk, Republic of Mordoviya

15) 2 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Pavel Spiridonovich Neustroyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Chmykh (above) and Kostyuchenko, Popov, Antonyuk, and Slizovsky (below); Baptist pastor charged for participating in two-day fellowship event of Caucasian Association of Council of Churches at Kurganinsk church.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 2 June 2024, Kurganinsk District Court, Krasnodar Region

16) 2 April 2024
Part 5
Name: Zhavlanbek Zhumabayevich Matkarimov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: Mayma District Court, Altay Republic
Circumstances: appears to be same case as Saparboyev (below); after police and FSB raid on migrant workers' hostel, Muslim and Uzbek citizen charged for having conducted "religious rites, ceremonies, to spread the faith of Islam, which he professed, converting new people and teaching religion", without authorisation from religious group and without having submitted notification of existence of religious group.
Appeal: none

17) 2 April 2024
Part 5
Name: Abbos Bakhadirovich Saparboyev
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: Mayma District Court, Altay Republic
Circumstances: appears to be same case as Matkarimov (above); after police and FSB raid on migrant workers' hostel, Muslim and Uzbek citizen charged for having conducted "religious rites, ceremonies, to spread the faith of Islam, which he professed, converting new people and teaching religion", without authorisation from a religious group and without having submitted notification of the existence of a religious group.
Appeal: none

18) 3 April 2024
Part 5
Name: Dovud Safaraliyevich Odilov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Mayma District Court, Altay Republic
Circumstances: unknown citizenship, unknown religious affiliation – details unknown
Appeal: none

19) 9 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Sanzhar Mukhamedrakhimovich Imidzhanov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: South-Eastern Administrative Okrug Magistrate's Court No. 252, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim charged with having "carried out religious (missionary) activity, conducting a religious rite as imam for parishioners, without authorisation to perform this activity"; investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: none

20) 17 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Pyotr Grigoryevich Kostyuchenko
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Chmykh and Neustroyev (above) and Popov, Antonyuk, and Slizovsky (below); Baptist pastor charged for participating in two-day fellowship event of Caucasian Association of Council of Churches at Kurganinsk church.
Appeal: none

21) 17 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Andrey Vladimirovich Popov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Chmykh, Neustroyev, and Kostyuchenko (above) and Antonyuk and Slizovsky (below); Baptist pastor charged for participating in two-day fellowship event of Caucasian Association of Council of Churches at Kurganinsk church.
Appeal: none

22) 17 April 2024
Part 4
Name: Nikolay Stepanovich Antonyuk
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Chmykh, Neustroyev, Kostyuchenko, and Popov (above) and Slizovsky (below); Baptist pastor charged for participating in two-day fellowship event of Caucasian Association of Council of Churches at Kurganinsk church.
Appeal: none

23) 18 April 2024
Part 5
Name: Samariddin Khizridinovich Saliyev
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus administrative expulsion
Court: Tuapse City Court, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Saidzoda (below); Tajik citizen and Muslim charged by police with having carried out unspecified missionary activity in residential premises without notifying the Justice Ministry of the creation of a religious group; mosque imam testified that "Any missionary activity must be agreed upon with the leadership of the Spiritual administration of the Republic of Adygea and Krasnodar Region", which Saliyev did not do; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: none

24) 18 April 2024
Part 5
Name: Dzhalil Saidmumin Saidzoda
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus administrative expulsion
Court: Tuapse City Court, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Saliyev (above); Tajik citizen and Muslim charged by police with having carried out unspecified missionary activity in residential premises without notifying the Justice Ministry of the creation of a religious group; mosque imam testified that "Any missionary activity must be agreed upon with the leadership of the Spiritual administration of the Republic of Adygea and Krasnodar Region", which Saidzoda did not do; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: none

25) 3 May 2024
Part 4
Name: Valery Pavlovich Slizovsky
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Prikubansky District Magistrate's Court No. 50, Krasnodar
Circumstances: same case as Chmykh, Neustroyev, Kostyuchenko, Popov, and Antonyuk (above); Baptist pastor charged for participating in two-day fellowship event of Caucasian Association of Council of Churches at Kurganinsk church.
Appeal: unknown outcome – lodged 31 May 2024, Prikubansky District Court, Krasnodar

26) 13 May 2024
Part 4
Name: Magomed Gadzhiyevich Shakhbanov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Mytishchi District Magistrate's Court No. 126, Moscow Region
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of properties where Muslim community holds services, imam of Local Religious Organisation of Muslims "Enlightenment" charged with having held or allowed prayers three times a day in two houses belonging to him, allegedly using amplification equipment; local residents who were not members of the religious organisation had complained about this to prosecutor's office; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification but rejects defence arguments that activities were religious, not missionary, given free access to buildings and use of amplification; imam tried and punished as "official person" [dolzhnostnoye litso].
Appeal: unsuccessful – 2 September 2024, Mytishchi City Court, Moscow Region

27) 14 May 2024
Part 5
Name: Nabizhon Obitov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Chishmy District Court, Republic of Bashkortostan
Circumstances: Uzbek citizen, former imam of local Muslim religious organisation; after FSB search of residential building in village of Gorny found ground floor to be "equipped for religious rites (namaz, dhikr, etc.)", prosecutor's office charged house owner with "organising the conduct of worship services and other religious rites and ceremonies in his home [which] are in fact the dissemination of information about religious doctrine, and, therefore, fall under the concept of missionary activity", which he carried out "without a document issued by the governing body of a religious organisation confirming the authority to perform missionary activity on its behalf"; defendant explained that fellow Uzbeks would "help him with household chores, then they cook food, pray together, talk about religious topics, and pray in the same premises".
Appeal: none

28) 17 May 2024
Part 5
Name: M. B. Mukhidinov
Punishment: unknown
Court: Lyublino District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: unknown citizenship, unknown religious affiliation – details unknown
Appeal: none

29) 23 May 2024
Part 4
Name: Khuseyn Adamovich Makhmudov
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Otradnaya District Magistrate's Court No. 187, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Muslim accused of leading namaz in residential building, without having notified the Justice Ministry of existence of religious group; investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: none

30) 27 May 2024
Part 4
Name: Dmitry Nikolayevich Belolipetsky
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Neklinovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Rostov Region
Circumstances: Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church priest charged by prosecutors with having "disseminated his beliefs among persons who are not participants (members) the religious association, with the aim of involving them as participants (members, followers), for holding a service "where participants sang religious hymns, read the Bible, prayed" at the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Sovetka village, without written authorisation from religious association to perform missionary activity on its behalf.
Appeal: none

31) 30 May 2024
Part 5
Name: G.I. Umarov
Punishment: unknown fine plus administrative expulsion
Court: Lyublino District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim of unknown citizenship charged by police with having "organised and carried out religious missionary activity in violation of [the Religion Law], in the absence of authority to conduct a religious ceremony, in a place not agreed with local government bodies for the performance of the religious ceremony 'Namaz'", ie. had led prayers for the end of Ramadan on "a freely accessible site" near a multi-storey garage/car park; to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal:

32) 4 June 2024
Part 5
Name: Shoimardon Dzhalilov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Troitsky District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim of unknown citizenship charged by police with having conducted namaz as one of several "self-proclaimed imams" "in the absence of appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony"; religious group "Umma Troitskaya" listed Dzhalilov as a "volunteer" in its documents.
Appeal: none

33) 5 June 2024
Part 4
Name: Artyom Sergeyevich Ivanov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Maykop Magistrate's Court No. 2, Republic of Adygeya
Circumstances: details unknown; unknown religious affiliation
Appeal: none

34) 5 June 2024
Part 4
Name: Andrey Yuryevich Kolobov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Maykop Magistrate's Court No. 2, Republic of Adygeya
Circumstances: details unknown; unknown religious affiliation
Appeal: none

35) 5 June 2024
Part 4
Name: Stanislav Vladimirovich Tolokin
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Maykop Magistrate's Court No. 2, Republic of Adygeya
Circumstances: details unknown; unknown religious affiliation
Appeal: none

36) 6 June 2024
Part 4
Name: Artur Minurovich Iskaliyev
Punishment: none – case sent back
Court: Mytishchi District Magistrate's Court No. 133, Moscow Region
Circumstances: details unknown; unknown religious affiliation
Appeal: none

37) 18 June 2024
Part 5
Name: Abdukodir Farkhodovich Abdukhalilov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Troitsky District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: defendant charged (apparently by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism) with having "carried out religious missionary activity in violation of the requirements of [the Religion Law], in the absence of the appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony", in immigration detention centre; exact activity unspecified; citizenship unknown; religious affiliation unknown.
Appeal: none

38) 2 July 2024
Part 4
Name: Oleg Markelovich Alekseyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Sterlitamak District Magistrate's Court No. 3, Republic of Bashkortostan
Circumstances: after police photographed and videoed worship service as part of inspection of "implementation of legislation on countering extremist activity", Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by prosecutor with having held worship services in own home, "with the participation of a person who is not a member of the group", without written authorisation from religious group to carry out missionary activity and without notification to Justice Ministry of existence of religious group; prosecutor argued that the fact police officer could freely enter the house and participate in the service is evidence of missionary activity; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 12 August 2024, Sterlitamak City Court, Republic of Bashkortostan

39) 3 July 2024
Part 5
Name: Mukhammadali Bolbekovich Rakhimov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Yelizovo District Court, Kamchatka Region
Circumstances: Muslim of unknown citizenship, already in immigration detention centre subject to expulsion for immigration offence, charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having "conducted religious rites: daily 'namaz' with the participation of at least 3 persons held there, thus carrying out missionary activity" in violation of Religion Law; fellow Muslims in centre chose him as imam, though he "did not study in religious institutions, he does not have permission to act as Imam, [and] did not contact the administration of the [immigration] centre with a request to grant permission for this activity".
Appeal: none

40) 19 July 2024
Part 4
Name: Marina Viktorovna Chekunova
Punishment: none – sent back to police for elimination of technical deficiencies
Court: Aksay District Court, Rostov Region
Circumstances: religious affiliation unknown; details unknown
Appeal: none

41) 23 July 2024
Part 4
Name: Mukhammadyusuf Moydunzhonovich Momunakhunov
Punishment: none – case sent back
Court: Bibirevo District Magistrate's Court No. 85, Moscow
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

42) 23 July 2024
Part 5
Name: Muhammadrachab Ibrokhimovich Yorov
Punishment: unknown fine plus administrative expulsion
Court: Lyublino District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim and Tajik citizen charged with having "organised a meeting of citizens in a public place without the consent of local government bodies, to hold the Islamic religious rite of 'Namaz', proclaiming himself 'Imam', in the absence of the appropriate authority to carry out missionary activities by a foreign citizen" – organised namaz attended by "800-1,000" people near a multi-storey car park; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure; investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: none

43) 24 July 2024
Part 4
Name: Anatoly Aleksandrovich Mukhin
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Tuapse City Court, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: pastor of Council of Churches Baptist church charged with having "disseminated information about his religious doctrine on the internet [and] involved citizens who are not members of this religious group in the doctrine"; two people present at worship service who were not members of church – one testified that he had found out about the service online, the other that an unknown man had given him a leaflet about Baptists in the street (during service, he found out that Baptists "denied weapons and any military activity", of which he disapproved as he "supports the SVO") (Caucasian Knot, 21 August 2024); investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 28 August 2024, Krasnodar Regional Court; cassational appeal successful (statute of limitations) – 17 February 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar

44) 27 July 2024
Part 5
Name: Bakhodir Raimberganovich Sabirov
Punishment: unknown fine plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: Lefortovo District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim of unknown citizenship charged with having "carried out missionary activities in violation of the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and religious associations", for having "acted as an imam" and led namaz in a hostel without agreeing this with its administration, "in the absence of the appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony .. having converted room No. 200 for the religious ceremony 'Namaz'"; investigative agency unknown; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: none

45) 31 July 2024
Part 5
Name: Hugh Turvey
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus administrative expulsion (controlled autonomous departure)
Court: Zelenodolsk City Court, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: Irish citizen and Society for Krishna Consciousness adherent charged with having "participated in religious activities in the form of the Shravanam Kirtanam festival, where he conducted religious spiritual practices of Sankirtan [and] lectures on the topic of Vaishnavism, [and] chanted the Hare Krishna mantra", without written authorisation from a religious organisation to carry out missionary activity; defendant entered Russia as a tourist.
Appeal: none

46) 1 August 2024
Part 5
Name: Okhunzhon Isabayev
Punishment: 35,000 Roubles
Court: Aleksin Inter-District Court, Tula Region
Circumstances: Muslim and Kyrgyz citizen charged by prosecutor's office with leading prayers in prayer room he had equipped with carpets, a clock, and religious literature in administrative building, "while not having documents on state registration"; prayer room provided by company on request of Muslim employees; judge noted employer's character reference and Isabayev's legal migration status and lack of previous offences in deciding not to expel him.
Appeal: none

47) 2 August 2024
Part 4
Name: Daniil Aleksandrovich Litovkin
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Belorechensk District Magistrate's Court No. 127, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Council of Churches Baptist charged for leading group of Baptists who visited hospital at Easter to sing hymns, hand out gifts, and distribute newspaper "Do you believe?"; hospital doctor reported event to police.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 27 September 2024, Belorechensk District Court, Krasnodar Region

48) 5 August 2024
Part 5
Name: Saimukhiddin Shamsudinovich Aminov
Punishment: unknown fine plus administrative expulsion
Court: Lyublino District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim; citizenship unknown; "self-proclaimed imam" Aminov charged with organising "an unsanctioned gathering of citizens" in a cafe "to conduct the religious rite of 'namaz'", interpreted as carrying out "religious and missionary activities in violation of the [Religion Law], in the absence of appropriate authority to conduct a religious rite, in a place for religious worship (namaz) not agreed with local government bodies"; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure; investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: none

49) 9 August 2024
Part 4
Name: Way of Salvation Church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
Punishment: warning
Court: Vakhitov District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: same case as Nazareth Church cases (below); Baptist Union church charged by prosecutor with holding "Easter musical performance: 'Death and Resurrection'" over first of two days in conference halls at two hotels "without submitting notice of holding a public event" to local authorities – at these, the church "repeatedly conducted sermons aimed at revealing the essence of religion and advertising of religious organisations in printed religious products".
Appeal: none

50) 9 August 2024
Part 4
Name: Way of Salvation Church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
Punishment: warning
Court: Vakhitov District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: same case as Nazareth Church cases (below); Baptist Union church charged by prosecutor with holding "Easter musical performance: 'Death and Resurrection'" over second of two days in conference halls at two hotels "without submitting notice of holding a public event" to local authorities – at these, the church "repeatedly conducted sermons aimed at revealing the essence of religion and advertising of religious organisations in printed religious products".
Appeal: none

51) 9 August 2024
Part 4
Name: Nazareth Church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
Punishment: warning
Court: Vakhitov District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: same case as Way of Salvation Church cases (above); Baptist Union church charged by prosecutor with holding "Easter musical performance: 'Death and Resurrection'" over first of two days in conference halls at two hotels "without submitting notice of holding a public event" to local authorities – at these, the church "repeatedly conducted sermons aimed at revealing the essence of religion and advertising of religious organisations in printed religious products".
Appeal: none

52) 9 August 2024
Part 4
Name: Nazareth Church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
Punishment: warning
Court: Vakhitov District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: same case as Way of Salvation Church cases (above); Baptist Union church charged by prosecutor with holding "Easter musical performance: 'Death and Resurrection'" over second of two days in conference halls at two hotels "without submitting notice of holding a public event" to local authorities – at these, the church "repeatedly conducted sermons aimed at revealing the essence of religion and advertising of religious organisations in printed religious products".
Appeal: none

53) 13 August 2024
Part 5
Name: Abdulkhakim Obidkhudzhayevich Kayumov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Bataysk City Court, Rostov Region
Circumstances: Muslim and Tajik citizen "carried out missionary activities in violation of the requirements of the legislation on religious associations, namely, carried out religious activities without registering a religious organisation" – exact actions and investigative agency unclear.
Appeal: none

54) 27 August 2024
Part 5
Name: Olimdzhon Ganidzhonovich Amonov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Kushnarenkovo District Court, Republic of Bashkortostan
Circumstances: Muslim and Tajik citizen charged with having "obstructed the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including the adoption of religious or other beliefs, or the rejection of them" for teaching the children of visiting relatives to read and write Arabic script while he read namaz in residential premises, "without a document issued by the governing body of a religious organisation and confirming the authority to carry out missionary activities on [its] behalf"; investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: none

55) 28 August 2024
Part 4
Name: Salavat Ilfatovich Garayev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Nurlat District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: Muslim charged with "illegally conducting collective prayer in a religious building in the absence of a permit document granting the right to carry out religious activities", ie. leading namaz at mosque without "certification from Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan for the implementation of religious activities".
Appeal: unsuccessful – 18 October 2024, Nurlat District Court, Republic of Tatarstan

56) 3 September 2024
Part 5
Name: Fuad Mubariz ogly Suleymanov
Punishment: unknown
Court: Surgut District Court, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

57) 6 September 2024
Part 5
Name: Mayis Melikyan
Punishment: 35,000 Roubles plus administrative expulsion
Court: Lazarevsky District Court, Sochi, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Armenian citizen and priest of Armenian Catholic Church charged with keeping Armenian-language New Testaments not labelled with the religious organisation's full official name in a garage used as a chapel; investigative agency unclear; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: partially successful (expulsion order rescinded) – 20 November 2024, Krasnodar Regional Court

58) 6 September 2024
Part 4
Name: Adel Ravilevich Valeyev
Punishment: none – acquitted
Court: Laishevo District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: leader of religious group of "Gaudiya Vaishnavite (Krishnaite) branch of Hinduism" charged by prosecutor with having organised Hare Krishna procession from palace of culture to shopping centre, and events in a square and in a park, involving "at least 25-30 people, including passers-by", without agreeing these events with municipal authorities; judge notes 2018 Constitutional Court clarification of missionary activity, and concludes that case materials "do not contain evidence that [Valeyev] carried out missionary activity, that is, disseminated information about a specific religious doctrine among persons who were not members .. and who were drawn into the composition of the members of the religious association by appealing to their consciousness, will, [and] feelings".
Appeal: none

59) 6 September 2024
Part 4
Name: Viktor Valeryevich Alekseyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles plus destruction of seized literature
Court: Central District Magistrate's Court No. 3, Chita, Zabaykalsky Region
Circumstances: Society for Krishna Consciousness adherent charged with having performed missionary activity – handing out religious literature in the street – on behalf of "Hare Krishna Sankirtana" religious group while not listed as member by Justice Ministry; literature not labelled with full official name of any organisation and ordered destroyed.
Appeal: unsuccessful (but accusation over unmarked literature rescinded and destruction order overturned) – 16 October 2024, Zabaykalsky Regional Court; cassational appeal unsuccessful – 20 January 2025, 8th Cassational Court, Kemerovo

60) 6 September 2024
Part 4
Name: Ravil Rafisovich Fayzullin
Punishment: none – statute of limitations
Court: Nurlat District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: Muslim charged with "illegally conducting a collective prayer in a religious building in the absence of a permit document granting the right to carry out religious activities", ie. leading namaz in mosque without "certification from Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan for the implementation of religious activities".
Appeal: none

61) 9 September 2024
Part 4
Name: Ismel Zamirdzhanovich Mizov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Urvansky District Court, Republic of Kabardino-Balkariya
Circumstances: Muslim; same case as Kardanov, Bazhev, and Soblirov (below) – during inspection of Islamic Sunday school "Khafizov", police and FSB seized religious literature which was not marked with the religious organisation's full official name.
Appeal: none

62) 15 September 2024
Part 5
Name: Umarali Safaraliyevich Kodirov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: Kingisepp City Court, Leningrad Region
Circumstances: Muslim and Tajik citizen charged by police with conducting namaz in construction workers' canteen "without documents issued by the governing body of the relevant religious association confirming the authority to carry out missionary activities on its behalf", interpreted by police as "missionary activity in a place not intended for religious rites and ceremonies"; court decision notes several witness statements from fellow employees, but unclear whether they alerted police; Kodirov to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: none

63) 17 September 2024
Part 4
Name: Sh. Sh. Arsaliyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Trunovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: same case as Ibragimov (below); defendant charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having conducted services of religious group "Integrity" [Chestnost] without being its leader or having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of continuation of activities of religious group; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification; religious affiliation unknown.
Appeal: none

64) 19 September 2024
Part 4
Name: Aslan Zaurovich Bazhev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Urvansky District Court, Republic of Kabardino-Balkariya
Circumstances: Muslim; same case as Mizov, Kardanov, and Soblirov (below) – during inspection of Islamic Sunday school "Khafizov", police and FSB seized religious literature which was not marked with the religious organisation's full official name.
Appeal: none

65) 20 September 2024
Part 4
Name: S.R. Magomedov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kochubeyevskoye District Magistrate's Court No. 4, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having "conducted worship services and other religious rites" without having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of continuation of activities of religious group; religious affiliation unknown.
Appeal: none

66) 25 September 2024
Part 5
Name: Władysław Kloc
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus administrative expulsion
Court: Central District Court, Sochi, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: 85-year-old Polish citizen and priest of Roman Catholic Parish of Holy Apostles Thaddeus and Simon charged by police with carrying out missionary activity "without a permit document" on church's own premises; defendant stated he had lost document "confirming his right to preach in the city of Sochi"; case file contained copy of decree appointing him to position of vicar (assistant rector) – court concluded that submitted documents "do not indicate that [Kloc] could carry out his activities in the city of Sochi, since they were issued by the regional branch [of the Church]" (Caucasian Knot, 8 November 2024); defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 1 October 2024, Krasnodar Regional Court

67) 26 September 2024
Part 4
Name: A. Ya. Ibragimov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Trunovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol
Circumstances: same case as Arsaliyev (above); leader of religious group "Integrity" [Chestnost] charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having led services without having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of continuation of activities of religious group; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification; religious affiliation unknown.
Appeal: none

68) 1 October 2024
Part 4
Name: Darya Aleksandrovna Konovalova
Punishment: none – case returned to police
Court: Ingodinsky District Court, Chita, Zabaykalsk Region
Circumstances: during monitoring of VKontakte by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism, Konovalova found to have engaged in "missionary activities, without indicating her official full name and information about her religion" in the group "Sisters Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception" (a Roman Catholic religious congregation); judge sent case back as it should have gone to magistrate's court – no indication that police resubmitted it in correct jurisdiction.
Appeal: none

69) 3 October 2024
Part 5
Name: A.R. Yakubov
Punishment: 40,000 Roubles plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: Lyublino District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim and Tajik citizen charged by Interior Ministry Counter-Extremism Centre officials with having carried out "religious, missionary activity", ie. namaz prayers for 10-20 people, in a shop inside a residential building "in the absence of the appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony in a public place"; to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 15 October 2024, Moscow City Court

70) 4 October 2024
Name: Dmitry Mikhailovich Kirikov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Onega District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Arkhangelsk Region
Circumstances: Council of Churches Baptist charged by police with having "carried out missionary activity in the form of preaching, prayer, and worship (poems, spiritual songs)" in his own home among people who were not members of the church, without written authorisation from religious group and not having submitted notification of existence of religious group, and "not being the leader of a religious organisation, a member of its collegial body, and (or) a clergyman".
Appeal: unsuccessful – 18 November 2024, Onega City Court, Arkhangelsk Region

71) 9 October 2024
Part 5
Name: Rasulzhon Tulkinovich Mamatoirov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles plus administrative expulsion (controlled autonomous departure)
Court: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, Kamchatka Region
Circumstances: after search of workers' hostel, Muslim and Uzbek citizen, "not a member of any official religious organisation", charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism (FSB also involved in "operational activities") with having "conducted a religious rite, namely namaz, with the participation of no fewer than 3 people", in a prayer room inside hostel, without written authorisation from a religious organisation or group to carry out missionary activity; room had sign on door reading "Masjid"; defendant already had plane ticket to leave Russia.
Appeal: none

72) 10 October 2024
Name: Aleksey Vyacheslavovich Petrov
Punishment: 7,000 Roubles
Court: Novorossiysk Magistrate's Court No. 82, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: after summons for "conversations" at local administration about registration of community, and police visit to church during which officers photographed books and prayer hall, Council of Churches Baptist presbyter charged with having "disseminated the religious ideology of the International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists" without having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of the existence of religious group.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 21 November 2024, October District Court, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Region

73) 29 October 2024
Part 4
Name: I. A. Usenbayev
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Neftekumsk District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

74) Late October/early November 2024
Part 4
Name: Akhmat Valeryevich Kardanov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: unknown Urvansky District Magistrate's Court, Republic of Kabardino-Balkariya
Circumstances: Muslim; same case as Mizov and Bazhev (above) and Soblirov (below) – during inspection of Islamic Sunday school "Khafizov", police seized and FSB religious literature which was not marked with the religious organisation's full official name.
Appeal: none

75) Late October/early November 2024
Part 4
Name: Astemir Khasanbiyevich Soblirov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Urvansky District Magistrate's Court No. 3, Republic of Kabardino-Balkariya
Circumstances: Muslim; same case as Mizov, Bazhev, and Kardanov (above) – during inspection of Islamic Sunday school "Khafizov", police seized religious literature from defendant which was not marked with the religious organisation's full official name.
Appeal: none

76) 5 November 2024
Part 5
Name: Inomzhon Bennabzhonovich Khoshimov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Lenin District Court, Nizhny Novgorod
Circumstances: Muslim and Uzbek citizen charged with reading the Koran and "explaining the meaning of the Suras to third parties" in a cafe while "not being a member of a religious organisation, the head of a religious organisation, a member of its collegial body or a clergyman of a religious organisation; defendant stated that he had read from the Koran and prayed before eating, then explained the meaning to other customers, also Uzbek citizens; prosecutor notes Khoshimov's legal migration status, guilty plea, and lack of a criminal record and asks that he not be deported.
Appeal: none

77) 11 November 2024
Part 4
Name: Sergey Viktorovich Yenichev
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Novorossiysk Magistrate's Court No. 76, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Protestant charged by police with unauthorised missionary activity, although during the police visit to his home, he was drinking tea; had written authorisation to carry out missionary activity on behalf of Straight Path Evangelical Church, but lawyers claim this was lost by the court.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 27 January 2025, Primorsky District Court, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal unsuccessful – 6 June 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar

78) 11 November 2024
Part 4
Name: Stanislav Valeryevich Istomin
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Novorossiysk Magistrate's Court No. 247, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Protestant, member of Bethlehem Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith, charged by police with having carried out missionary activity in violation of the Religion Law – details unknown.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 18 February 2025, Primorsky District Court, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal unsuccessful – 6 June 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar

79) 14 November 2024
Part 4
Name: Shamsudin M. Kuramagomedov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Budyonnovsk District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: Muslim imam charged by police with having carried out unspecified missionary activity, "during which he introduced residents .. to Islamic doctrine", without written authorisation from religious group.
Appeal: none

80) 19 November 2024
Part 4
Name: Magomed Nurudinovich Abdurakhmanov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Georgiyevisk Magistrate's Court No. 3, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: Muslim charged with having "regularly conducted worship services as imam-khatib on behalf of the religious organisation 'Muslims-Sunnis' outside the organisation's legal address", ie. leading namaz for 7-15 people at address not included in group's notification to Justice Ministry, and without written authorisation from religious group to carry out missionary activity.
Appeal: none

81) 29 November 2024
Part 4
Name: Rakhim Shamil ogly Makhmudov
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Proletarsky District Magistrate's Court No. 68, Tula
Circumstances: leader of Muslim religious group "Akhl al-Beyt" charged by prosecutor with preaching and leading prayers without notifying Justice Ministry of creation of religious group and without formal contract to use prayer room.
Appeal: none

82) 2 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Abakar Davudovich Magomedov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Mytishchi District Magistrate's Court No. 126, Moscow Region
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

83) 4 December 2024
Part 5
Name: Farrukhzhon Umar ugli Siddikov
Punishment: none – case returned to police
Court: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, Kamchatka Region
Circumstances: Uzbek citizen, religious affiliation unknown; judge sent case back apparently on basis of 2018 Constitutional Court clarification, as protocol of offence did not sufficiently describe incident – noted that officials did not take account of fact that "The defining feature of missionary activity is the dissemination…of information about a specific religious doctrine among persons who, while not being its followers, are drawn into their number…At the same time, public dissemination of this information, aimed at neutrally informing others about a religious association and its activities, cannot be qualified as missionary activity".
Appeal: none

84) 10 December 2024
Part 4
Name: A. R. Khidirova
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: October District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of religious group As-Salam's premises, Muslim charged with having led Islamic and Koranic study and prayers for girls twice a week for two years, without written authorisation from religious group to perform missionary activity on its behalf.
Appeal: none

85) 10 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Nikolay Grigoryevich Koshchavka
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kanevskaya District Magistrate's Court No. 150, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Funtov and Yunusov (below) – Council of Churches Baptist charged by police with having invited non-members of religious group (passenger in his taxi, passer-by in street) to services at prayer house he owns, preaching to them and giving them religious literature, while not having written authorisation from religious group to carry out missionary activity and not having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of existence of religious group.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 4 February 2025, Kanevskaya District Court, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal lodged on 28 May 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar – no hearings yet listed

86) 10 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Daniil Petrovich Funtov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kanevskaya District Magistrate's Court No. 150, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Koshchavka (above) and Yunusov (below) – Council of Churches Baptist charged by police with having invited non-members of religious group to services, preaching to them and giving them religious literature, while not having written authorisation from religious group to carry out missionary activity and not having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of existence of religious group.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 13 February 2025, Kanevskaya District Court, Krasnodar Region

87) 10 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Valery Viktorovich Yunusov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Kanevskaya District Magistrate's Court No. 150, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Koshchavka and Funtov (above) – Council of Churches Baptist charged by police with having invited non-members of religious group to services, preaching to them and giving them religious literature, while not having written authorisation from religious group to carry out missionary activity and not having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of existence of religious group.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 4 February 2025, Kanevskaya District Court, Krasnodar Region

88) 16 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Ilyas Islyamovich Siit
Punishment: 50,000 Roubles
Court: Novocherkassk Magistrate's Court No. 4, Novocherkassk, Rostov Region
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of mosque, Chair of Local Religious Organisation of Muslims of the City of Novocherkassk, Rostov Region, "Barakat" (Grace) charged with having on the premises Russian and Arabic books not labelled with religious organisation's full official name; prosecuted as "official person" (dolzhnostnoye litso).
Appeal: unsuccessful – 18 February 2025, Novocherkassk City Court; cassational appeal returned without consideration – 9 April 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar; cassational appeal lodged again on 16 June 2025 at 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar – no hearings yet listed

89) 25 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Natalya Vladislavovna Voronina
Punishment: none – case closed
Court: Yoshkar-Ola District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Mari El Republic
Circumstances: Seventh-day Adventist – details unknown
Appeal: none

90) 25 December 2024
Part 4
Name: Natalya Vladislavovna Voronina
Punishment: none – case closed
Court: Yoshkar-Ola District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Mari El Republic
Circumstances: Seventh-day Adventist – details unknown
Appeal: none

JANUARY TO APRIL 2025

1) 4 January 2025
Part 5
Name: S.A. Radzhabov
Punishment: unknown fine plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: Lefortovo District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim of unknown citizenship charged by police with having, "in the absence of the appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony, acted as an imam, without coordinating with the administration of the Gorod Shopping Centre [and] performed the Muslim religious rite 'Namaz', in a public place"; defendant to be held in immigration detention centre until departure.
Appeal: none

2) 17 January 2025
Part 4
Name: Zokirzhon Mirzhonovich Pirakov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Novogireyevo Magistrate's Court No. 288, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim bus driver charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having performed namaz on bus, interpreted as having "organised and carried out religious, missionary activity in violation of [the Religion Law], in the absence of authorisation to conduct a religious rite in a public place".
Appeal: none

3) 24 January 2025
Part 5
Name: Shokhramazon Makhmad Vazirzoda
Punishment: none – case returned to police
Court: Nerekhta District Court, Kostroma Region
Circumstances: unknown citizenship, unknown religious affiliation – case previously sent back because protocol had indicated neither the date of the offence nor Vazirzoda's exact actions; not resubmitted a second time.
Appeal: none

4) 31 January 2025
Part 5
Name: Ruzimukhammad Khasanzhon ugli Kosimov
Punishment: unknown fine plus administrative expulsion (autonomous controlled departure)
Court: Kuzminsky District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: appears to be same case as Kosokov (below); Muslim of unknown citizenship charged by police with having, "in the absence of appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony, acted as an imam in a public place not intended for worship and religious rites" by holding namaz prayers in hotel lobby.
Appeal: none

5) 31 January 2025
Part 5
Name: A. A. U. Kosokov
Punishment: unknown fine plus administrative expulsion (autonomous controlled departure)
Court: Kuzminsky District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: appears to be same case as Kosimov (above) – Muslim of unknown citizenship charged by police with having, "in the absence of appropriate authority to conduct a religious ceremony, acted as an imam in a public place not intended for worship and religious rites" by holding namaz prayers in hotel lobby.
Appeal: none

6) 5 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Dzhambulat Nurmagomedovich Kadiyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Central Okrug Magistrate's Court No. 12, Kursk
Circumstances: Muslim charged by police with distributing Islamic newspaper "As-Salam" (published by the Way charitable foundation) in the street, "without the authority to carry out missionary activity in behalf of a religious organisation".
Appeal: case closed (statute of limitations) – 6 May 2025, Lenin District Court, Kursk

7) 6 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Aleksandr Alekseyevich Sergeyev
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Vakhitovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

8) 6 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Adel Ravilevich Valeyev
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Vakhitovsky District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: Society for Krishna Consciousness adherent – details unknown
Appeal: none

9) 6 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Yusuf Irekovich Davletshin
Punishment: warning
Court: Privolzhsk District Magistrate's Court No. 8, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of mosque for compliance with law on missionary activity, Muslim imam charged with having "ensured, through systematic training sessions, the public dissemination of information about the religious doctrine of the local religious organisation among persons who, not being its followers, including due to their age (minors), were drawn into their number" – training itself carried out by two unnamed persons who do not have written authorisation to perform missionary activity.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 17 March 2025, Privolzhsk District Court, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan

10) 10 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Chmykh
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: after police inspection of worship service at church, Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by police with having carried out missionary activity "with an undetermined circle of persons", without having submitted "notification of the start of activities of a religious group" and without written authorisation from religious group; court notes that church's activities banned on territory of Kurganinsk by district court decision of 6 September 2024; this prosecution specifically for service on 14 December 2024.
Appeal: rejected for late submission – 24 February 2025, Kurganinsk District Court, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal returned without consideration (incorrect jurisdiction) – 24 March 2025, Krasnodar Regional Court; cassational appeal returned without consideration (copies of court documents not "duly certified") – 6 June 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar

11) 10 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Chmykh
Punishment: 10,000 Roubles
Court: Kurganinsk District Magistrate's Court No. 167, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances after police inspection of worship service at church, Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by police with having carried out missionary activity "with an undetermined circle of persons", without having submitted "notification of the start of activities of a religious group" and without written authorisation from religious group; court notes that church's activities banned on territory of Kurganinsk by district court decision of 6 September 2024; this prosecution specifically for service on 15 December 2024.
Appeal: rejected for late submission – 24 February 2025, Kurganinsk District Court, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal returned without consideration (incorrect jurisdiction) – 25 March 2025, Krasnodar Regional Court; cassational appeal lodged on 29 May 2025 at 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar – no hearings yet listed;

12) 11 February 2025
Part 5
Name: Marek Jaśkowski
Punishment: none – acquitted
Court: Noyabrsk City Court, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of premises, Polish Catholic priest charged with having "conducted a service and worship of the Roman Catholic Church, that is, carried out missionary activity", without having submitted notification to Justice Ministry of religious group's existence; priest explained he is rector of St Joseph the Worker in Surgut, and comes to Noyabrsk twice a month to hold services at the invitation of Catholics there, attended only by Catholics, and does not preach among people of other faiths; Catholic community representative testified that they had repeatedly tried to register Noyabrsk community as religious organisation; judge acquits with reference to https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2377">2018 Constitutional Court clarification of missionary activity, noting that "the communal reading of books on religious topics, the performance of religious services, other religious rites and ceremonies without the presence of a system-forming feature of missionary activity does not constitute an offense under Article 5.26 Part 4"; judge also notes that Jaśkowski is not the leader of the religious group, and the leader has in fact submitted notification to the Justice Ministry.
Appeal: none

13) 11 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Asadulla Israpilovich Israpilov
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Sosnenskoye Magistrate's Court No. 431, Moscow
Circumstances: same case as Local Religious Organisation of Muslims "Unity" (see below) – after prosecutor's office inspection of community's premises, Muslim charged with having carried out unspecified missionary activity on behalf of Local Religious Organisation of Muslims "Unity", without written authorisation to do so.
Appeal: none

14) 11 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Local Religious Organisation of Muslims "Unity"
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Sosnenskoye Magistrate's Court No. 431, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim; same case as Israpilov (see above) – fact of individual's unlawful missionary activity used to prosecute organisation.
Appeal: none

15) 13 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Local Religious Organisation Christian Evangelical Church of Veliky Novgorod
Punishment: none – case sent back to police
Court: Novgorod District Court, Novgorod Region
Circumstances: Protestant church – details unknown
Appeal: none

16) 19 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Artames Slavikovich Melkonyan
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Tuapse Magistrate's Court No. 112, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Mukhin and Dvoranin (below) – Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by police with preaching and distributing newspaper "Do you believe?" to people at worship services who were not members of religious group; witness stated that he attended on invitation of woman at bus stop who gave him "Do you believe?", and that he was Orthodox and unfamiliar with Baptist church – witness filmed part of service and apparently passed this to police.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 20 March 2025, Tuapse City Court, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal returned without consideration – 11 April 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar

17) 19 February 2025
Part 4
Name: Anatoly Aleksandrovich Mukhin
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Tuapse Magistrate's Court No. 112, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: same case as Melkonyan (above) and Dvoranin (below) – Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by police with preaching and distributing newspaper "Do you believe?" to people at worship services who were not members of religious group; witness stated that he attended on invitation of woman at bus stop who gave him "Do you believe?", and that he was Orthodox and unfamiliar with Baptist church – witness filmed part of service and apparently passed this to police.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 22 April 2025, Tuapse City Court, Krasnodar Region

18) 5 March 2025
Part 5
Name: Nurillo Mukhtorzhon ogly Rakhmonaliyev
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: October District Court, Kirov
Circumstances: Muslim and Uzbek citizen charged by prosecutor with having "carried out missionary activity in a dormitory, aimed at disseminating information about the religious teachings of the Sunnis (one of the branches of Islam), without notifying [the Justice Ministry] in writing of the beginning of the activities of the religious group" and without written authorisation from a religious group to conduct missionary activity.
Appeal: none

19) 12 March 2025
Part 4
Name: Sergey Vasilyevich Timoshchuk
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Bryukhovetskaya District Magistrate's Court No. 128, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by police with having "preached the doctrine of the church of the International Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians - Baptists in relation to T. and K. who are not participants or followers of this religious association, and also distributed a [Baptist] newspaper" in a friend's private home in Tuapse, without written authorisation from a religious group, and without submitting notification of the existence of a religious group; T. and K. secretly recorded the service and said they had been invited to attend – Timoshchuk stated he had not invited them.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 16 April 2025, Bryukhovetskaya District Court; cassational appeal lodged on 10 June 2025 at 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar

20) 17 March 2025
Part 4
Name: I. I. Ibiyev
Punishment: none – case sent back
Court: Promyshlenny District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Stavropol
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

21) 18 March 2025
Part 4
Name: Ruslan Magomedovich Khizriyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Preobrazhenskoye District Magistrate's Court No. 112, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim charged with having performed namaz in car park outside residential building, interpreted as having "organised and carried out religious, missionary activity in violation of [the Religion Law], in the absence of authorisation to conduct a religious rite in a public place"; investigative agency unknown.
Appeal: none

22) 21 March 2025
Part 4
Name: P. T. Pireyev
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Turkmen District Magistrate's Court No. 2, Stavropol Region
Circumstances: charged by Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Extremism with having carried out missionary activity without notifying Justice Ministry of creation of religious group; religious affiliation unknown; details unknown.
Appeal: none

23) 31 March 2025
Part 5
Name: Samir Anvarovich Sharipov
Punishment: unknown fine plus forcible administrative expulsion
Court: none – case handled only by police
Circumstances: Muslim university student of unknown citizenship accused of leading namaz prayers at at his college, "proclaiming himself imam", interpreted by police as "a meeting of citizens in a public place, uncoordinated with local government bodies", without "the appropriate authority to carry out missionary activities" as a foreign citizen; lawyer argues that he "was actually brought to administrative responsibility for praying in college", and police failed to take into account Article 28 of the Constitution or Article 24.1 Part 1 of the Religion Law, or "the concept and content of Prayer (Namaz), which is the performance of a religious rite [and] the implementation of private religious practice"; at time of appeal, Sharipov being held in immigration detention centre; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification but states that it is not violated in this case.
Appeal: unsuccessful – 8 April 2025, Kuzminsky District Court, Moscow; further appeal sent to higher court on 21 April 2025 – outcome unknown.

24) Late March/early April 2025
Part 4
Name: Andrey Igoryevich Lukashin
Punishment: unknown fine
Court: Lazarevsky District Court Magistrate's Court No. 94, Sochi, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Protestant pastor of Bible League Church – details unknown
Appeal: unsuccessful – 5 May 2025, Lazarevsky District Court, Sochi, Krasnodar Region; cassational appeal lodged on 26 May 2025, 4th Cassational Court, Krasnodar – no hearings yet listed

25) 1 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Anatoly Borisovich Dvoranin
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Tuapse Magistrate's Court No. 112, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Circumstances: same case as Melkonyan and Mukhin (above) – Council of Churches Baptist pastor charged by police with preaching and distributing newspaper "Do you believe?" to people at worship services who were not members of religious group; witness stated that he attended on invitation of woman at bus stop who gave him "Do you believe?", and that he was Orthodox and unfamiliar with Baptist church – witness filmed part of service and apparently passed this to police.
Appeal: none

26) 2 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Larisa Gerasimovna Pokhilko
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Provideniya District Court, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Circumstances: pastor of religious group Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith Living Word "held an informational and educational event 'The Nativity of Christ' for residents of Provideniya .. that is, for an indefinite number of persons" at cultural centre, which included "explanation of individual biblical themes with a distortion of the historical understanding of 'The Nativity of Christ', [and] the performance of hymns characteristic of Protestant denominations"; interpreted as dissemination of "information about the doctrine of a religious group among persons who are not members (followers)", without written authorisation from religious group to carry out missionary activity or evidence of notification to Justice Ministry of creation of religious group; judge acknowledges 2018 Constitutional Court clarification.
Appeal: lodged on 5 May 2025, Court of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug – no hearings yet listed

27) 11 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Yevgeny Petrovich Koshkaryov
Punishment: none – case returned to police for elimination of technical deficiencies
Court: Otradnaya District Magistrate's Court No. 188, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Council of Churches Baptist pastor – details unknown
Appeal: none

28) 14 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Ramazan Arslanovich Magomedov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Presnya District Magistrate's Court No. 378, Moscow
Circumstances: Muslim charged by police with distributing "spiritual and educational" newspaper "As-Salam", published by Way charitable foundation.
Appeal: none

29) 15 April 2025
Part 5
Name: Guvanch Saparov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Savyolovo District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: same case as Muradov (below); Muslim charged with praying namaz on the Moscow metro and inviting other passengers to join in, without "documents confirming his authority to conduct a religious ceremony in a public place".
Appeal: none

30) 15 April 2025
Part 5
Name: Didar Muradov
Punishment: 30,000 Roubles
Court: Savyolovo District Court, Moscow
Circumstances: same case as Saparov (above); Muslim charged with praying namaz on the Moscow metro and inviting other passengers to join in, without "documents confirming his authority to conduct a religious ceremony in a public place".
Appeal: none

31) 16 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Akhliddin Alovidinovich Khayutov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Vysokogorsk District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Republic of Tatarstan
Circumstances: after prosecutor's office inspection of compliance with Extremism Law, Muslim charged with having "conducted a collective obligatory prayer in front of the parishioners of the ["Karadeniz"] mosque", acting as imam without certification from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan and without written authorisation from religious organisation to perform missionary activity.
Appeal: none

32) 25 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Boris Yuganesovich Kreyman
Punishment: none – case returned to police (statute of limitations)
Court: Otradnaya District Magistrate's Court No. 187, Krasnodar Region
Circumstances: Protestant pastor of Church of Jesus Christ of Otradnaya District charged with having led worship service without having notified the Justice Ministry of existence of religious group, despite the fact that church is registered as local religious organisation; case also sent back to police on two previous occasions for elimination of technical deficiencies.
Appeal: none

33) 25 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Aleksandr Vladimirovich Zhukov
Punishment: 5,000 Roubles
Court: Millerovo District Magistrate's Court No. 1, Rostov Region
Circumstances: Council of Churches Baptist charged by police for preaching to parishioners in private house; judge notes that religious association "'International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians Baptists' is not registered in accordance with the procedure established by law, and A.V. Zhukov does not have documents granting him the relevant authority [to carry out missionary activity]".
Appeal: none

34) 25 April 2025
Part 4
Name: Bilol Umarovich Karimov
Punishment: none – case sent back
Court: Mytishchi District Magistrate's Court No. 133, Moscow Region
Circumstances: details unknown; religious affiliation unknown
Appeal: none

(END)

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