New Searches in Moscow. Criminal Cases Initiated Against Two Women

On April 24, 2025, the homes of Mariya Pankova, 50, wife of Sergey Tolokonnikov, and Nadezhda Lebed, 74, were searched. They were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization because of their faith in Jehovah God.

The criminal case against Pankova was initiated on April 22, 2025 by Natalya Vikhareva, a senior investigator of the Koptevsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of Moscow. According to the investigation, she is guilty because she participated in meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses organized by Sergey Tolokonnikov, Anatoliy Marunov and Roman Mareyev, who were convicted for their beliefs.

On the morning of April 24, police officers knocked on Mariya Pankova's door. They explained that new circumstances had opened up in her husband's case, and therefore, she needed to be interrogated. Her mother fell ill at this news. Mariya was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. The investigator placed her under a recognizance agreement. After the interrogation, Mariya's house was searched, and her laptop was seized.

On the same day, a search under the direction of police officer D. A. Nesterov took place at the home of Nadezhda Lebed and her husband. Electronic devices were seized from them. The couple was interrogated at the investigative committee and Nadezhda was placed under a recognizance agreement. Earlier, in 2021, the home of the Lebed family had already been searched.

In Moscow a total of 20 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their faith, 7 of them are serving sentences in penal colonies.