A court in Russia's southwestern Astrakhan region has sentenced three Jehovah's Witnesses to seven years in prison each amid a crackdown on the religious group. The Akhtuba district court on April 18 found Sergei Korolyov, Rinat Kiramov, and Sergei Kosyanenko guilty of organizing and financing an extremist group. All three men pleaded not guilty. Russia banned the Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017 and declared the group an extremist organization. Rights watchdogs and Western governments have condemned Russia's crackdown on Jehovah's Witnesses and other peaceful religious minorities. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.
Three Jehovah's Witnesses Jailed For Seven Years In Russia
Russia banned the Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017 and declared the group an extremist organization.