New section "Prisoners of Conscience"

On August 20, 2018, a new section was published on the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia website, clearly showing the scale of religiously motivated criminal prosecutions in the country. It publishes information about citizens who have become defendants in criminal cases (accused) due to the fact that, according to the investigation, they profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Data filtering by regions of Russia is provided. At the time of the first publication, criminal prosecutions for faith were noted in 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Another filter, "Under Arrest Only," shows that there are currently 32 people in prisons or under house arrest. For the rest of the citizens, a measure of restraint (punishment) not related to isolation was chosen. Sorting the data "by region" will help to establish the scope of criminal prosecutions in a particular subject of Russia. For example, you can see that 4 people are persecuted for their faith in the Magadan and Penza regions, as well as in Tatarstan.

By opening the file of any of those persecuted for their faith, you can get more detailed information about him or her: name, year of birth, current status in the criminal case, current measure of restraint, if he was taken into custody, when it happened, how many days he spent in prison, where he is now, address for letters. You can also see a photo (if any) and briefly get acquainted with the biography. The "Case Summary" box will provide basic information about the criminal case in which the person is being prosecuted.

The information in this section will be updated and updated as events unfold and information becomes available, so sorting the data "by date updated" on the "Prisoners of Conscience" page will help readers keep track of the changing situation with religious persecution in Russia.