New Searches and Criminal Case in Crimea. Largest Raid of the Year Against Believers
CrimeaOn August 27, 2025, Crimean law enforcement officers conducted searches at the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated against one of them, Vladimir Chertov, 52. He is charged with "organizing the activity of an extremist organization." He was detained.
A total of 11 searches took place. The raid affected at least 19 believers from Alushta, the villages of Partenit and Lazurne. Some of them were led by Andrey Kirov, who initiated the criminal prosecution, and Adel Abzalilov, officers of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. During the searches, electronic devices, communication equipment, books, notebooks and personal notes were seized.
Update.
During the search, personal documents were confiscated from the believers, including those confirming the ownership of cars and property, internal and passports for travel abroad, driver’s licenses, as well as all cash. In one case, the officers of the Investigative Committee left a family of four only 300 rubles. According to the victims, without personal documents and means of subsistence, their lives are on hold. Electronic devices, communication equipment, books, notebooks and personal notes were also seized from them. Some searches were accompanied by harsh actions of law enforcement officers — one of the families was forced to lie on the floor for about 20 minutes.
On August 29, a preventive measure was imposed on Vladimir Chertov — a ban on certain actions.
This is not the first case of pressure on believers in Alushta — searches were already carried out here a year ago. In total, 32 of Jehovah's Witnesses have become victims of prosecution in Crimea over the past 7 years.