In the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Believers. One of Them Needed Emergency Medical Aid

On February 6, 2024, at least 7 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives were searched in the cities of Shakhunya, Gorodets, and the village of Vakhtan (Nizhny Novgorod Region). They affected the elderly and families with children. Some were questioned and later released.

The searches began around 6 a. m. and lasted from two to five hours. They were conducted by security forces — local and from Nizhny Novgorod. They seized electronic devices, personal records, data carriers, and Bibles. In most cases, law enforcement officers behaved correctly. One of the believers, an elderly man, repeatedly lost consciousness during the search, an ambulance was called for him twice and eventually taken to the hospital, from where he was later released home.

The interrogations of believers were led by T. A. Smirnova, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the city of Shakhunya.

This is not the first wave of persecution of believers in the Nizhny Novgorod region. 13 Jehovah's Witnesses in the region have already been sentenced for practicing their religion.