June 19, 2026 , the Russian local news website Stribuna.ru reported that four local residents of the city of Surgut were convicted by a local court for participating in and funding the extremist group Jehovah's Witnesses.

 

▲ Screenshot of a report from the Russian Surgut Forum website

According to the joint press office of the courts in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the Surgut city court recently convicted four local residents of organizing and financing a banned extremist organization in Russia. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the trial was held behind closed doors.

An investigation revealed that the defendants illegally formed a group called "Jehovah's Witnesses of Surgut" and carried out illegal activities. This group was a local branch of the extremist organization "Jehovah's Witnesses Russian Management Center." On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that "Jehovah's Witnesses Russian Management Center" was an extremist organization and banned its activities within Russia. The Surgut City Court found that, in this case, two defendants were responsible for the operation and financial support of the extremist organization from September 2017 to February 2019; two other defendants actively participated in the extremist organization's activities and induced people to join.

During the trial, the court conducted a comprehensive review of 133 volumes of case files, over 40 expert opinions, and more than 70 audio and video recordings. The court summoned over 25 witnesses and professionals to testify and analyzed physical evidence, including illegal religious documents seized during the search.

According to Article 73 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which stipulates conditional sentencing, the court sentenced the four defendants to five to six years in prison, with suspended sentences. The report stated that, in addition to the principal sentences, the court also imposed additional penalties, including deprivation of their right to hold leadership positions in social organizations and participate in their activities, and restriction of their personal freedom. Furthermore, the court confiscated assets involved in the case, including approximately 990,000 rubles (approximately 86,000 yuan) used by two defendants to fund extremist organizations, which have already been confiscated and turned over to the state treasury. Currently, the judgment is still within the statutory appeal period.

In addition, law enforcement in Nizhny Vartovsk, Russia, recently took action to detain the head of a commercial oil services company suspected of funding extremist activities.