Searches were conducted at Jehovah's Witnesses in Ugra

In the morning, security forces conducted searches in at least eight houses of Jehovah's Witnesses in the cities of Yugorsk and Sovetsky, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. This was reported on the website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

Also, 15 believers were detained and taken away for questioning. Details are still unknown.

On August 20, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia noted that on August 19, searches took place at 9 addresses - 8 in Yugorsk and 1 in Sovetsky, after which 16 people were taken away for interrogation.

Two believers were detained and sent to a temporary detention facility for up to 48 hours. These are 48-year-old Yugra resident Andrei Zhukov and 42-year-old Soviet resident Ivan Sorokin. A preventive measure will be chosen for them in the near future.

A criminal case was opened against them under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code)

August 24 Late in the evening of August 20, Andrei Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin were released home on their own recognizance.

• In mid-February 2019, massive searches of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Surgut. At least seven of them spoke of humiliation, beatings and electric shocks. The Investigative Committee refused to initiate a criminal case against the security forces, despite the conclusion of independent experts confirming the injuries.
• In April 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as an extremist organization and banned its activities throughout the country. In August of the same year, all communities of Jehovah's Witnesses were added to the list of prohibited ones.