In Smolensk on October 7, two women were detained on suspicion of participation in Jehovah's Witnesses.

In the city of Sychevka, Smolensk region, on October 7, the FSB detained two women, Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina, on suspicion of participation in Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is reported on the organization's website.

The FSB, together with Center “E” and SOBR soldiers, conducted searches in the apartments of Sychevka residents. After that, they detained two women who still have not made contact. Perhaps they were arrested. The women's neighbors say they were taken from the apartment in an unknown direction. The search permission was issued by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk.

As they write on the Jehovah's Witnesses website, a criminal case has been opened under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist community).

• On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” as an extremist organization, liquidated it and banned its activities in Russia. In August, all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations were added to the list of prohibited organizations. Now their followers are becoming defendants in criminal cases.
• OVD-Info talked about the life of followers of Jehovah's Witnesses under the ban and how they are persecuted.