UNITED STATES COMMISSION on

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

COUNTRY UPDATE:
Russia July 2025

Vicky Hartzler By Dylan Schexnaydre, Policy Analyst

Chair
Russia’s Persecution of Religious Groups
Asif Mahmood
Vice Chair and FoRB Actors
Overview
Commissioners
The Russian government perpetrates particularly severe violations of religious
Ariela Dubler
freedom against a range of religious groups and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB)
Mohamed Elsanousi actors, in blatant violation of international law. Throughout 2024 and the first
Maureen Ferguson half of 2025, Russia prosecuted members of several perceived “non-traditional”
Stephen Schneck religious organizations for their religious activities in both Russia and Russian-
occupied territories of Ukraine. Authorities also targeted independent civil society
Meir Soloveichik
organizations, human rights activists working on FoRB, and dissidents expressing
opinions involving religion. Human rights organizations have identified hundreds
Erin D. Singshinsuk of prisoners in Russian custody unjustly imprisoned for exercising their right to
Executive Director freedom of religion or belief.
This report provides updates on persecuted religious groups and other FoRB actors
in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and highlights recent cases of
FoRB violations.
USCIRF’s Mission
Persecution of Religious Groups and FoRB Actors

Background
To advance international
According to a 2023 poll from the independent Levada Center, 72 percent of Russia’s
freedom of religion or population identify as Orthodox Christian, seven percent as Muslim, five percent as
belief, by independently atheist, and 13 percent as having no religious affiliation. Several other religious groups
assessing and unflinchingly each constitute one percent or less of the population, including Baha’is, Buddhists,
members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Falun Gong practitioners,
confronting threats to this
Hindus, followers of indigenous religions, members of the International Society for
fundamental right. Krishna Consciousness, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Protestants, Roman Catholics,
Scientologists, and Tengrists. Russia’s religion law defines Christianity, Islam, Judaism,
and Buddhism as “traditional” religions. The government grants special recognition
and privileges to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (ROC-
MP), such as security guards and access to official government vehicles. Such privileges
are not afforded to other religious groups, and the ROC-MP has reportedly received
more government-granted property than other religious organizations.

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USCIRF Country Update: Russia202-523-3240
| July 2025
 Russia

Moscow

The Russian government uses several vague, problematic priest—who had reportedly served in Russia for almost
laws to target religious individuals and groups it perceives 30 years—for “illegal missionary work” after he lost his
as a threat. The country’s religion law penalizes individuals documentation permitting him to preach in Sochi.
and organizations for engaging in broadly defined Authorities have closed houses of worship for those
“missionary activities” that lack government approval. engaging in so-called illegal missionary activities. In May
Authorities criminalize the activities of several peaceful 2025, the Fourth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction
religious organizations by designating them as “extremist,” upheld a ban on the activities of a Baptist house of prayer
“undesirable,” or “terrorist” despite a lack of evidence or in Kurganinsk. According to authorities, the house
even specific allegations that those accused promoted, of prayer had failed to properly register as a religious
participated in, or plotted violence. Additionally, the organization and thus had conducted illegal missionary
government penalizes human rights activists documenting activities for its roughly 1,500 attendees. Authorities
FoRB violations, those engaging in perceived religiously sealed the building shut following the most recent ruling.
offensive expression, and religiously grounded anti-
war protesters through the country’s foreign agents law, Blasphemy-Accused
blasphemy law, and war censorship laws.
Authorities prosecute individuals for their perceived
People Engaging in So-Called Illegal offensive expression toward religion, religious
Missionary Activities texts, and religious leaders. In September 2024, the
Novoaleksandrovsky District Court of the Stavropol
According to statistics published by the Russian Supreme Territory sentenced an individual to two years and
Court, Russian courts in 2024 considered 431 cases of two months in prison, another to two years in prison,
religion law violations—including against so-called illegal and a minor to one year and 10 days of suspended
missionary activities—which resulted in fines totaling imprisonment after a video circulated online of the
4,747,000 rubles ($58,388). In April 2025, the Savelovsky three of them burning a copy of the New Testament
District Court of Moscow fined two Muslim migrants and making perceived offensive remarks. In April
30,000 rubles ($369) each for inviting metro riders to 2025, a court in Dorogobuzh sentenced an individual
perform namaz (the five daily Islamic ritual prayers) to 100 hours of community service for attempting to
with them, which the court deemed “illegal missionary record himself burning a Bible. Many blasphemy-accused
work.” Authorities also deported foreign citizens for their remain imprisoned, including Nikita Zhuravel and
so-called illegal missionary activities. In September 2024, Eduard Sharlot.
the Central District Court of Sochi fined and ordered
the deportation of an 85-year-old Polish Roman Catholic

2 USCIRF Country Update: Russia | July 2025

Anti-War Protesters and Religious Leaders February 2024, authorities declared Radio Free Europe/
Radio Liberty “undesirable.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
in 2022, authorities have targeted anti-war protesters and Muslims Accused of Terrorism
religious leaders for expressing opposition to the war
in religious terms. In October 2024, law enforcement Russian authorities have targeted Muslims for their
reportedly physically assaulted and arrested Pentecostal involvement in HT since the Supreme Court declared the
Pastor Nikolay Romanyuk at his home because of a sermon group a “terrorist” organization in 2003. HT members
he gave during Sunday worship in September 2022 that face terrorism charges—despite no evidence or even
called on fellow Christians not to participate in Russia’s allegations that defendants called for or committed
war against Ukraine. In April 2025, the Nevsky District violence—for possessing religious literature, discussing
Court in St. Petersburg fined Apostolic Orthodox Church religion and politics, and recruiting members to the
Archbishop Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko 30,000 rubles group. Human rights organization Memorial reported
($369) for posting in March 2022 an anti-war video in in September 2024 that Russia had prosecuted at least
which he discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine using 352 people, including Crimean Tatar Muslims, for HT
a Biblical story. The Ministry of Justice has also sought affiliation. Out of the 280 convicted, Russian courts had
to delegitimize prominent anti-war religious leaders— sentenced 131 to between 10 and 14 years in prison and
including Mikhnov-Vaitenko, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, 119 to 15 years or more.
Buddhist leader Erdni-Basan Ombadykov (Telo Tulku In May 2024, the Central District Military Court in
Rinpoche), and Pentecostal Bishop Albert Ratkin—by Yekaterinburg sentenced Rais Mavlyutov to 10 years
adding them to the country’s foreign agents registry. in prison for trying to convince a fellow prisoner to
join HT. Detained since September 2019, Mavlyutov
Human Rights Activists and Independent Media was sentenced in April 2021 to 23 years in prison for
Authorities target independent activists and his HT activities, which included organizing meetings,
organizations, including those working on FoRB issues. discussing religion and politics, and reading religious
In August 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the prison literature. Mavlyutov’s combined sentence now totals
sentence of 13 years and nine months against human 27 years in prison. In September 2024, Federal Security
rights lawyer Bakhrom Khamroev. Authorities arrested Service (FSB) agents detained four women in Kazan for
Khamroev—who was well known for providing legal organizing and participating in HT activities, including
defense to Muslims accused of involvement in Hizb ut- holding religious meetings. That same month, United
Tahrir (HT)—in February 2022 over posts he allegedly Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation
made on social media discussing religion and referring of human rights in the Russian Federation Mariana
to HT. Since his imprisonment, prison authorities have Katzarova identified human rights abuses throughout
allegedly beat him, taken away his Qur’an, and subjected Russia, including its prosecution of alleged HT members
him to other mistreatment. Khamroev’s health has also in both Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea.
seriously deteriorated reportedly due to inhumane
Conscientious Objectors
living conditions and medical neglect. In May 2025,
the Ministry of Justice labeled Crimean Tatar journalist Authorities have denied alternative civilian service to
and human rights defender Lutfiye Zudiyeva a “foreign conscientious objectors refusing to serve in the military
agent.” Zudiyeva has reported extensively on the arrest on religious grounds. Article 59 of Russia’s Constitution
and mistreatment of Crimean Tatars Muslims in Russian- grants every citizen the right to alternative civilian
occupied Crimea. service; however, this right does not extend to mobilized
The Ministry of Justice recently added two FoRB- men whom military authorities are calling up to fight
oriented human rights organizations to its foreign in Ukraine. In January 2024, Pentecostal Christian
agents registry: the SOVA Research Center in November Maksim Makushin arrived at prison to begin serving his
2024 and “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial” sentence. In September 2023, the Murmansk Garrison
in January 2025. The Ministry of Justice had previously Military Court sentenced Makushin to two years and
liquidated the predecessors of both organizations under eight months in prison for refusing to serve in the
spurious pretenses. Several independent media outlets military, citing his religious beliefs. In November 2024,
who report on FoRB issues remain criminalized. In the Berezovka District Court fined a Baptist Christian

USCIRF Country Update: Russia | July 2025 3

 60,000 rubles ($738) for refusing military service. Other prison and another to two years and six months in prison
conscientious objectors, including Protestant Christians for organizing meetings, distributing religious literature,
Vyacheslav Reznichenko and Andrey Kapatsyna, remain and engaging in missionary activities. FSB officers
in prison. had “stopped” their activities in February 2023. In July
2024, the Gorodishchensky District Court in the Penza
Jehovah’s Witnesses Region sentenced one individual to six years’ suspended
Since the Russian Supreme Court declared Jehovah’s imprisonment and four others to three years and six
Witnesses “extremist” in 2017, Russian law enforcement months’ suspended imprisonment for their Tablighi
has reportedly searched nearly 2,200 member homes and Jamaat activities. In March 2025, Memorial reported the
brought criminal charges against more than 860 for their sentencing of 10 Tablighi Jamaat members in 2024 to
religious beliefs and activities. As of May 2025, roughly unknown prison sentences. FSB officers had detained the
180 Jehovah’s Witnesses remain in Russian custody, men in the Moscow Region in July 2023 and confiscated
either in pretrial detention, imprisoned, under house religious literature during searches of their homes.
arrest, or subjected to forced labor.
Said Nursi Followers
In February 2025, the Yoshkar-Ola City Court in the
Republic of Mari El fined nine Jehovah’s Witnesses Authorities have used a 2008 Supreme Court ruling
600,000 rubles ($7,380) each and another one declaring a so-called “Nurdzhular” organization
500,000 rubles ($6,150) for their involvement in worship “extremist” to prosecute Muslims who meet to study
meetings. That same month, the Cherkessk City Court of the writings of the late Turkish theologian Said Nursi.
Karachay-Cherkessia sentenced Yevgeniy Semenov to six In July 2024, the Kuzminsky District Court in Moscow
years and three months in prison for sharing his religious sentenced Zurab Dzhabrailov to six years in prison and
beliefs with others. In March 2025, the Altai Regional Dzheykhun Rustamov to two years and nine months
Court replaced on appeal the suspended sentence of in prison for publishing, translating, and distributing
Sergey Lukin with four years and six months of forced Said Nursi’s works and creating groups to study them.
labor for holding meetings to discuss Jehovah’s Witness According to nongovernmental organization Forum 18,
religious beliefs. the two men had been under state surveillance since
2017. FSB officers arrested them in August 2023. As of
Imprisoned Jehovah’s Witnesses face prohibitions on
May 2025, several other Muslims remain in prison for
their religious activities, mistreatment, and gross medical
their religious activities tied to Said Nursi, including
neglect. In March 2025, 67-year-old Valery Bailo died
Yevgeny Tarasov, Urdash Abdullayev, Parviz Zeynalov,
while serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for his
and Mukazhan Ksyupov.
Jehovah’s Witness religious activities. According to his
family, prison authorities failed to provide Bailo with Falun Gong Practitioners
adequate medical care despite his repeated visits to the
prison hospital. The government has targeted Falun Gong practitioners
for holding meetings, practicing qigong exercises, and
In Russian-occupied Crimea, the Russian-controlled
distributing religious literature since the Prosecutor
Gagarin District Court of Sevastopol in January
General’s Office declared several Falun Gong entities
2025 sentenced Jehovah’s Witnesses Sergey Zhigalov and
“undesirable” in 2020. In November 2024, the Pyatigorsk
Viktor Kudinov to six years in prison each for organizing
City Court of the Stavropol Territory sentenced
religious activities. As of May 2025, 13 Jehovah’s
Oksana Shchetkina to two years in prison for leading
Witnesses from Russian-occupied Crimea remain
a local branch of a banned Falun Gong organization.
imprisoned, with all of them serving sentences of six
Law enforcement had arrested her in March 2024.
years or more.
In December 2024, the Lyambirsky District Court in
Tablighi Jamaat Members Mordovia sentenced a man to 400 hours of community
service over his Falun Gong activities. Law enforcement
Since the Supreme Court recognized the Muslim had detained him in September 2024 after searching the
missionary movement Tablighi Jamaat as “extremist” in homes of Falun Gong practitioners in Mordovia. As of
2009, the Russian government has prosecuted its members. January 2025, several other Falun Gong practitioners
In January 2024, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court—in arrested in 2024 remain in Russian custody awaiting trial.
two separate cases—sentenced one man to six years in

4 USCIRF Country Update: Russia | July 2025

Protestants Allya Ayat Members
The government has prosecuted members of several Authorities have targeted members of the spiritual
Protestant organizations for their perceived close ties to movement Allya Ayat since various courts declared
foreign religious communities. In April 2024, the Central its religious literature and local branches “extremist”
District Court of Prokopyevsk in the Kemerovo Region throughout the 2010s. In January 2024, FSB officials
sentenced an individual to one year of forced labor raided the homes and other meeting places of Allya Ayat
with related financial penalties for posting materials on members in the Altai Republic, reportedly identifying
social media of the banned New Generation Church. some 150 members and confiscating religious literature.
Authorities had designated the church “undesirable” in In March 2024, authorities reported detaining several
2021. Several Protestant Christians remain imprisoned Allya Ayat members in Rostov-on-Don. In March
for their affiliation with New Generation Church, 2025, the Sovetsky District Court and the Central
including Nikolai Ulitin and Svyatoslav Yugov. District Court of Novosibirsk sentenced four women
In January 2025, authorities detained Pastor Stanislav to suspended imprisonments ranging from six years to
Moskvitin—who had previously served prison time for six years and eight months for their religious activities,
his religious activities—for allegedly showing videos collecting donations, and distributing religious literature.
of pastors from the banned Transformation Center
Ukrainian Christians
Church International (Transformation Center Covenant
Network) during a meeting. Authorities had designated Russia’s 2014 and 2022 invasions of Ukraine have brought
the church “undesirable” in 2023. In March and April about the intense persecution of Ukrainian religious
2025, courts in the Republic of Bashkortostan sentenced communities, including various Christians groups.
an individual to 360 hours of community service Russian de facto authorities have banned the Orthodox
and another to two years’ suspended imprisonment Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukrainian Greek Catholic
for collecting donations for the banned religious Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and various Protestant
organization All-Ukrainian Spiritual Center Renaissance groups, including Baptists, Pentecostals, and Seventh-day
and its charitable arm. Authorities had declared the two Adventists. Russian de facto authorities often commit
entities “undesirable” in 2022. religious freedom violations as a means to facilitate the
The government has recently criminalized other ROC-MP’s dominance in these territories, such as by
Protestant organizations, groups, and literature. In pressuring Orthodox Christian communities and leaders
June 2024, authorities declared three affiliates of the to transfer to the ROC-MP. According to Ukrainian
nondenominational Great Commission Media Ministries nongovernmental organizations, at least 47 religious leaders
“undesirable,” and in March 2025, authorities designated have been killed, and more than 640 houses of worship and
“extremist” the book The New Testament: The Restoration other religious sites have been damaged or destroyed since
Translation, which the Local Church distributes. Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In February 2024, Russian forces allegedly abducted
Scientologists and tortured to death OCU priest Stepan Podolchak.
Authorities have prosecuted leaders and members of In July 2024, Russian de facto authorities reportedly
the Church of Scientology. In 2021, the Prosecutor demolished the last remaining OCU church in Russian-
General’s Office designated two Scientologist institutions occupied Crimea. In August 2024, the Russian-controlled
as “undesirable.” More recently in December 2024, Zaporizhzhia Regional Court sentenced Ukrainian
authorities declared the St. Petersburg branch of the Orthodox Church priest Kostiantyn Maksimov to
Church of Scientology as “extremist,” increasing the 14 years in prison on fabricated espionage charges related
range of possible penalties for affiliating with the Church to his refusal to transfer his church to the ROC-MP. In
of Scientology. In March 2025, sources reported that FSB December 2024, a UN human rights report highlighted
agents in Kaliningrad had arrested an individual for his Russia’s torture and ill treatment of Ukrainian Greek
Scientologist activities. Catholic priests Ivan Levitsky and Bohdan Geleta during
their detention from November 2022 to June 2024. One
of the priests had accused Russian forces of subjecting
him to regular beatings, prolonged stress positions, and
long-distance crawls on asphalt.

USCIRF Country Update: Russia | July 2025 5

 Crimean Tatar Muslims Krosh had accused officers at his pretrial detention
facility of prohibiting him from performing namaz,
Since Russia illegally took control of Crimea, Ukraine,
forcing him to recite the Russian national anthem, and
in 2014, Russian de facto authorities have targeted
beating him repeatedly when he refused to do so.
Crimean Tatar activists on the basis of their Muslim
religious identity. Russian military courts imprison Imprisoned Crimean Tatar Muslims have reported
Crimean Tatar Muslims on unsubstantiated terrorism mistreatment, inhumane living conditions, and rampant
charges in connection to their alleged affiliation with medical neglect, resulting in the severe deterioration of
HT. While the Russian Supreme Court declared HT a health for many prisoners. Crimean Tatar Muslims have
“terrorist” organization, the group operates legally in also repeatedly accused prison authorities of violating
Ukraine. Russian authorities have prosecuted Crimean their religious rights, including by imposing bans on
Tatar Muslims for allegedly possessing religious literature performing namaz, forcing prisoners to shave their
and talking about religion and politics. In June 2024, beards, and not accommodating their Ramadan religious
the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia observances.
had committed multiple human rights violations
throughout its occupation of Crimea, including related Conclusion and Recommendations
to the imprisonment of Crimean Tatars for their alleged Russia continued to perpetrate particularly severe
HT membership. As of August 2024, the Crimean Tatar religious freedom violations against a wide range
Research Center had identified 110 people from Crimea of religious groups in Russia and Russian-occupied
in Russian pretrial detention or prison for their alleged territories of Ukraine as well as civil society activists and
HT affiliation. human rights defenders who work on freedom of religion
or belief issues. Since 2017, USCIRF has recommended
In February 2025, FSB officials in Crimea detained
that the U.S. Department of State designate Russia as a
five Crimean Tatars for their alleged HT involvement.
“country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in
Families of the detained had accused Russian security
systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious
forces of planting banned religious literature during the
freedom, as defined by the International Religious
searches of their homes. In April 2025, the Southern
Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). The State Department
District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced
designated Russia as a CPC for the first time in 2021 and
Ekrem Krosh, Leman Zekeryaev, Osman Abdurazakov,
redesignated it as such in 2022 and 2023.
Refat Seidametov, and Khalil Mamebetov to 14 years
in prison each and Aider Asanov to 11 years in prison In 2025, USCIRF also recommended that the State
for their alleged HT membership, which prosecutors Department impose targeted sanctions on Russian
reportedly determined on the basis of a secretly recorded government agencies and officials responsible for
conversation about religion. Russian law enforcement religious freedom violations and that Congress advocate
had detained the six in January 2023. During the trial, for FoRB prisoners of conscience imprisoned by Russia.

6 USCIRF Country Update: Russia | July 2025

 UNITED STATES COMMISSION on INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Professional Staff

Michael Ardovino Thomas Kraemer Katherine Todd

Policy Analyst Chief Administrative Officer Policy Analyst
Susan Bishai Kirsten Lavery Scott Weiner
Senior Policy Analyst Supervisory Policy Analyst Supervisory Policy Analyst
Mollie Blum Veronica McCarthy Kurt Werthmuller
Policy Analyst Public Affairs Specialist Deputy Director of Research and Policy
Guillermo Cantor Hilary Miller Nathan Wineinger
Director of Research and Policy Policy Analyst Chief of Public Affairs
Mingzhi Chen Nora Morton Jean Wu
Supervisory Policy Advisor Operations Specialist Policy Analyst
Andrew Hamm Molly Naylor-Komyatte
Public Affairs Associate Policy Analyst
Sema Hasan Dylan Schexnaydre
Senior Policy Analyst Policy Analyst

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the
U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President,
the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.

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@USCIRF Washington, DC 20401
Media@[Link] 202-523-3240