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Russia jails four Jehovah's Witnesses on basis of secret recordings
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 18, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 18, 2026
Quick Summary
Russia jailed four Jehovah’s Witnesses after FSB agents secretly recorded infiltrated prayers. Postnikov got six years two months in Birobidzhan; three others received six years in Tver. Rights bodies say the 2017 ban is unlawful.
Russia jails four Jehovah's Witnesses on basis of secret recordings
Feb 18 (Reuters) - Four Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted of extremist activity and jailed in Russia in the past week on the basis of covert video recordings by spies who infiltrated their prayer sessions, a spokesperson for the faith group said.
The four men joined a list of some 220 people who have been sent to prison in a major crackdown by Russian authorities on Jehovah's Witnesses since 2017, when they were banned as an "extremist organisation". The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2022 that Russia's ban was unlawful, and it has similarly been condemned by the U.N. Human Rights Committee.
In the first of two recent cases, Oleg Postnikov, 61, was sentenced to six years and two months in the city of Birobidzhan.
"After almost a full year of covert filming, the FSB (security service) managed to select only a handful of meetings they considered the most 'extremist', which in fact prove that we are ordinary people who respect everyone without exception," he said in his final statement to the court.
"A telling example is the closing prayer in which those present asked God for strength to endure the hardships caused by persecution. There is no request for punishment or harm to our persecutors."
In the other case, Valeriy Tolmazov, 71, Aleksandr Kostyuk, 53, and Maksim Barbazyuk, 43, were sentenced to six years each in the city of Tver.
"What stands out in these two new cases is not just the use of covert operatives, but how deeply those operatives integrated themselves into small, trusting groups before feeding selectively edited material back to investigators," said Jarrod Lopes, a New York-based spokesperson for the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses.
(Reporting by Mark TrevelyanEditing by Gareth Jones)
Key Takeaways
- •Four Jehovah’s Witnesses were jailed in Russia after FSB agents secretly recorded infiltrated prayer meetings.
- •Sentences: six years two months for Oleg Postnikov in Birobidzhan; six years each for three men in Tver.
- •Jehovah’s Witnesses have faced a nationwide ban since 2017 under Russia’s extremism laws.
- •The European Court of Human Rights ruled the 2017 ban unlawful in 2022; UN bodies have also condemned it.
- •Spokesman Jarrod Lopes highlighted deep infiltration and selective editing by covert operatives.
Frequently Asked Questions about Russia jails four Jehovah's Witnesses on basis of secret recordings
1What is Reuters?
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2What is a spokesperson?
A spokesperson is an individual authorized to communicate official information on behalf of an organization. They provide statements, answer media questions, and clarify positions to ensure accurate public understanding of the organization’s activities and views.
3What is a court ruling?
A court ruling is a formal decision issued by a judge or judicial panel resolving legal questions in a case. Rulings can interpret laws, determine guilt or liability, and set remedies or penalties that parties must follow.
4What is a prison sentence?
A prison sentence is a judicially imposed period of incarceration following a criminal conviction. The court sets the term based on applicable laws and guidelines, and the individual serves the time in a correctional facility.
5What is covert video recording?
Covert video recording is the discreet capture of video without subjects’ awareness, often used in investigations. Its use is regulated by law, with rules varying by jurisdiction to balance evidence gathering and privacy protections.
