In Smolensk, after 191 days of imprisonment, 2 women believers are released from prison

On April 15, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk transferred Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina to house arrest. Women from the small town of Sychevka (Smolensk region) were released in the courtroom after spending more than six months behind bars.

On October 7, 2018, innocent law-abiding women, a nurse and a tour guide, were arrested by FSB officers for 48 hours. Later, on 9 October, 19 November and 19 February, the court extended their detention.

Law enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses "do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually."