RUSSIA: Bans on Council of Churches Baptist congregations "only growing"

Intelligence Briefing

Russian authorities continue to persecute religious minorities, particularly Council of Churches Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses. Baptist communities are being banned for meeting without state permission, a practice lawyer Sergey Chugunov notes is increasing. Several Jehovah's Witnesses have received long prison sentences, and one was tortured by National Guard personnel. A pastor was jailed for four years for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine.