Russian Jehovah’s Witness Sought Asylum in Belarus but Was Extradited to Russia

Belarus has for the first time extradited to Russia a Jehovah’s Witness who faced persecution in his home country for his religious beliefs, Christian Vision reports, citing the human rights organization Forum 18.

The extradition took place in late 2025. Before that, the Russian national had applied for asylum in Belarus but was denied. His appeals were also rejected.

In Russia, Jehovah’s Witnesses are designated an “extremist organization,” and criminal proceedings had been initiated against the man.

This is the first known case of such an extradition. Previously, Belarus had refused to extradite Jehovah’s Witnesses to Russia: in 2020, Nikolai Makhalichev was released from a pre-trial detention center in Vitsebsk, while in 2021, Oleg Lonshakov was released from a pre-trial detention center in Brest.