Source: www.forum18.org
Date: November 4, 2025
https://www.forum18.org/archiv
By Victoria Arnold, Forum 18
Courts have banned the activities of three more Council of Churches Baptist
communities in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar because of their
refusal to seek any form of state registration. Prosecutors are seeking a
similar prohibition on another Baptist church's activities in the Far East.
Once a court ruling enters legal force, church leaders are at risk of fines
if they continue to conduct worship services, and bailiffs may seal church
buildings, preventing access by congregations.
The latest bans bring to ten the total number of known bans on Council of
Churches Baptist communities. The practice of imposing such prohibitions
– specifically for failing to notify Justice Ministry authorities of the
beginning of a religious group's activities – has increased noticeably
over 2024 and 2025, a lawyer familiar with the situation confirmed to Forum
18 in August (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Council of Churches Baptist communities continue to meet for worship
regardless of any court decisions to ban their activities.
(During raids on Council of Churches Baptist communities in
Russian-occupied Ukraine, Russian officials try to pressure them to seek
Russian registration or notify the Russian authorities of their activity
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
"In Russia, the 'witch hunt' is continuing", another lawyer, Anatoly
Pchelintsev, wrote on his Telegram channel on 23 October
(https://t.me/advocatavp/549), the same day that an appeal court upheld an
earlier ban on a church in the Mari El Republic. "I have a question for the
deputies who seem so quick to pass prohibitive and punitive laws. What's
stopping them from introducing clarity and certainty into the legislation
on this issue, so as not to harass believers?"
"This practice is only growing", agreed lawyer and freedom of religion or
belief advocate Sergey Chugunov, also on 23 October (see below).
The trend appears to be particularly pronounced in Krasnodar Region, with
six of the known lawsuits taking place there. There have been others in
each of the Mari El Republic and Ulyanovsk Region in central Russia, the
Far Eastern Amur Region, and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Western
Siberia (see below).
Exactly why Krasnodar Region prosecutors are trying to ban so many Baptist
communities' activities is unclear. It is likely partly linked to the high
number of administrative prosecutions in the Region for "unlawful
missionary activity", which usually form part of the evidence in such
lawsuits. Fines on individuals are generally 5,000 Roubles, equivalent to
several days' average wage.
Forum 18 wrote to Krasnodar Region Prosecutor's Office on 24 October,
asking why prosecutors wanted to have these churches' activities
prohibited. Forum 18 had received no response by the end of 4 November (a
public holiday).
None of the courts which have issued the bans on the Council of Churches
congregations responded to Forum 18's questions (see below).
So far, Council of Churches Baptists appear to be the only religious
community affected by this trend, lawyers have told Forum 18. Some other
communities also worship without either registering as religious
organisations or submitting notification of the creation of a religious
group. This means that it is technically possible that they too may be
vulnerable to lawsuits. These may include some other Protestants and some
Muslims (for example, small rural congregations, or students or migrant
workers who worship together informally in hostels or workplaces).
Refusal to register their communities or otherwise accept state regulation
has been a key element of Council of Churches Baptists' identity since
their emergence in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Council of Churches
Baptists argue that the 1997 Religion Law and the Russian Constitution –
as well as Russia's international human rights obligations
(https://www.osce.org/odihr/13
without state involvement.
Possible restrictions on worship on residential premises?
On 16 June 2025, a group of State Duma deputies introduced a bill which, if
passed, would outlaw public worship services and religious rites and
ceremonies on residential premises
(https://www.sova-center.ru/re
and in the non-residential parts of blocks of flats.
"These amendments would affect the absolute majority of prayer rooms of the
[Council of Churches Baptists]", Novaya Gazeta Europe observed on 12 August
(https://novayagazeta.eu/artic
On 1 October, the federal government responded critically to proposed
changes, noting that they contradict Article 16, Part 2 of the Religion Law
(which explicitly states that "Worship services, religious rites and
ceremonies are carried out without hindrance .. on residential premises")
and stating that it requires "significant revision". It is therefore
unclear when the State Duma will consider the bill.
The process of banning a community's activities
The procedure of banning a community's activities may begin with an
inspection by the local Prosecutor's Office, sometimes in conjunction with
other officials, to check "compliance with legislation on freedom of
conscience and religious associations", in some cases also anti-extremism
legislation and fire safety.
In addition, prosecutors may summon pastors for "conversations" about why
they have not submitted notification of the beginning of their religious
groups' activities.
(These actions may derive from FSB or police surveillance or internet
monitoring, or an earlier administrative prosecution of a church leader or
member for "unlawful missionary activity". Missionary-related prosecutions
may also follow inspections.)
Prosecutors then lodge an administrative or civil lawsuit at a district
court "in the interests of an undefined circle of persons". Prosecutors
request that the judge prohibit the community's activities until it submits
the required notification (which, on principle, Council of Churches
Baptists will not do).
Once a court ruling enters legal force (after one month or upon an
unsuccessful appeal), it is subject to enforcement by bailiffs. If they
believe a church is continuing to operate, they may issue a fine to the
pastor. Ultimately, they may seal the church's building to prevent its use
for worship.
Court decisions explicitly prohibit a community's activities not only at
the address they habitually use, but also "on the territory of" the town or
district. This means that they cannot simply move to different premises.
One district court has stated to Forum 18 that a church would be permitted
to resume its activities if it submitted the required notification. It
appears, however, that no Council of Churches Baptist community has done
this.
Legal context
Lawyers familiar with recent cases of bans on church activities note that
there are no clear criteria for the creation of a religious group, that
Constitutional Court and Supreme Court rulings have only slightly clarified
the situation, and much is still left to the discretion of prosecutors and
judges (https://www.forum18.org/archi
The Religion Law requires all unregistered religious associations to notify
the authorities (usually regional branches of the Justice Ministry) of
their existence and activities. Failure to notify does not constitute a
specific offence, although it can be prosecuted under Administrative Code
Article 19.5 ("Failure to comply with a legal order (resolution,
submission, decision) of a body (official) exercising state supervision
(control)".
On 27 December 2016, the Plenum of the Supreme Court issued a resolution
partially clarifying the process of prohibiting a religious group's
activities (https://www.consultant.ru/doc
Point 24 of this resolution states that religious groups' activities may be
prohibited if they carry out "activities prohibited by law, or in violation
of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, or with other repeated or
gross violations of the law or other legal acts", but also, crucially, that
"Based on the specifics of the creation and legal status of a religious
group, as enshrined in the Law on Freedom of Conscience, failure to submit
notification of the commencement of its activities cannot in itself be
grounds for prohibiting the activities of such a group".
Point 26 acknowledges that "the law does not establish a list of gross
violations", and therefore it is up to the courts to "assess whether a
violation of the law committed by a citizens' association is gross and
entails liquidation or prohibition of activities". Gross violations, this
paragraph adds, "include those that make it impossible to remedy them by
lawful means".
"The impossibility of remedying the violation is a prerequisite for banning
its activities", lawyer and freedom of religion or belief advocate Sergey
Chugunov pointed out on his Telegram channel on 23 October
(https://t.me/chugunovsv/446), in the wake of another community's
unsuccessful appeal against a ban. "However, in these cases, courts
themselves state in their decisions that activities are prohibited until
notification is submitted. Consequently, the violation (even if considered
as such) is remediable, meaning the ban is unlawful".
Bans on churches' activities "must be overturned", Chugunov believes.
"However, this practice is only growing".
Because the Religion Law sets out no clear criteria, "any joint confession
can still be interpreted by law enforcement as the creation of a religious
group that has not notified [the Justice Ministry] of its activities",
Chugunov wrote on his Telegram channel on 3 November 2022
(https://t.me/chugunovsv/87).
Council of Churches Baptists argue that they are individual citizens
gathering to worship together as is their constitutional right, without the
establishment of any formal association. Prosecutors argue that what they
do – meeting regularly, performing "religious rites and ceremonies",
sometimes sharing their faith with others – means that they constitute a
religious group as defined by the Religion Law.
Lawsuits to ban religious communities' activities are almost always linked
to accusations of "unlawful missionary activity". This is apparently both
because it can be used as evidence of the de facto existence of a religious
group, and because it provides additional grounds for prohibition, given
that lack of notification is in itself not enough.
The written authorisation required to conduct missionary activity on behalf
of a religious group includes "written confirmation of receipt and
registration of the notification of the [group's] creation and commencement
of activities". The lack of such notification is therefore often taken as
evidence of "unlawful missionary activity", even if no group in fact
exists.
Krasnodar Region: Timashyovsk court bans church's activities
Timashyovsk District Court in Krasnodar Region banned the activities of the
Council of Churches Baptist church in the town of Timashyovsk on 13 October
2025. The ban came some four months after Prosecutor's Office officials
arrived at the church during a worship meeting to carry out an inspection.
Timashyovsk District Prosecutor's Office conducted its inspection of
compliance with "legislation on freedom of conscience, religion, and
religious associations", as well as with counter-extremism legislation and
fire safety regulations, on 8 June 2025.
"Presbyter Andrey Stepanovich Antonyuk explained to [the officials] that a
church service was in progress and, to avoid violations of Article 148 of
the Russian Criminal Code ["offending the religious feelings of
believers"], they could only conduct an investigation after it had
concluded", the Council of Churches Intercession Department stated on 12
June (https://telegra.ph/Soobshchen
After the service, the prosecutor's office officials asked about the
pastor's failure to submit notification of his religious group's existence,
and took a written statement from him.
Prosecutors then lodged a civil lawsuit on 10 July 2025, seeking "to
prohibit the activities of the religious group MSTs EKhB on the territory
of the Timashyovsk District municipality, including at the address: 4
Chekhov Street, Timashyovsk, until the violations are corrected, namely,
until written notification of the commencement of the religious group's
activities", the Intercession Department reported on 26 September
(https://telegra.ph/Soobshchen
In the lawsuit, "there are no indications of violations that are
significant, gross, repeated, or socially significant, as required by"
Resolution No. 64 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of 27 December 2016,
the Intercession Department notes.
Forum 18 asked Timashyovsk District Court on 24 October 2025 why it had
upheld the prosecutors' request to prohibit the church's activities, and
whether the church would be able to resume operations if it submits
notification of its existence. Forum 18 had received no response by the end
of 4 November (a public holiday).
Neither Pastor Andrey Antonyuk nor any other member of the church appears
to have undergone administrative prosecution for "unlawful missionary
activity" in Timashyovsk's magistrates' courts.
Kurganinsk District Court punished under Administrative Article 5.26, Part
4 another pastor at the Timashyovsk church, Nikolay Antonyuk (who has also
been chair of the Council of Churches since 2009). The Court fined him
5,000 Roubles for participating in the same 2024 conference in Kurganinsk
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
prosecution of Kurganinsk pastor Aleksandr Chmykh and the later banning of
his church's activities.
Krasnodar Region: Armavir court bans church's activities
On 30 September 2025, Armavir City Court upheld prosecutors' request that
the activities of the city's Council of Churches Baptist church be
prohibited "until violations are eliminated by sending notification of the
commencement of the activities of the religious group to the Office of the
Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for Krasnodar Region",
according to the court ruling, seen by Forum 18.
Armavir City Prosecutor's Office lodged its administrative lawsuit on 18
August 2025, based on its "inspection of compliance with legislation on
freedom of conscience and religious associations". The inspection concluded
that "this religious group is not registered as such with the [Krasnodar
Region] Office of the Justice Ministry. This circumstance violates the
rights of an indefinite number of persons and undermines the authority of
state bodies".
Pastor Vladimir Popov argued that his church "is a group that does not
require mandatory registration", which has "not committed gross violations
of the norms of current legislation that entail a ban on carrying out
activities, and [that] the prosecutor's office is not permitted to
interfere in the activities of a religious association".
According to the court ruling, local Federal Security Service (FSB)
operatives observed "the systematic conduct of missionary religious events
(approximately 200 people) .. by the Union of Churches of Evangelical
Christians-Baptists" at the church's address.
"Therefore", Judge Dmitry Cherninsky noted, "the court concludes that the
citizen association at the [church address] operates for purposes related
to religious belief and, therefore, constitutes the religious group
'International Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in
[Armavir], led by V.Kh. Popov', which has not submitted notification to the
Justice Ministry.
Judge Cherninsky also noted that a magistrate's court had found Popov
guilty of carrying out missionary activity without a document from a
religious association's governing body authorising him to do so, and to
parishioners who were not all members of his family.
"Consequently, [Popov] allowed missionary activity to be carried out
without submitting notification in writing of the commencement of the
activities of the religious group to the [Justice Ministry]."
According to its website, Armavir Magistrate's Court No. 8 (acting on
behalf of Magistrate's Court No. 4), fined Popov 5,000 Roubles under
Administrative Code Article 5.26, Part 4 on 2 July 2021, apparently solely
for leading worship in his home.
The same court also issued a 5,000-Rouble fine under the same Article to
church member Stanislav Maslenik, on 10 October 2022. He stood accused of
sharing information about the church's services at the key-cutting shop
where he works, including by having copies of the Baptist newspaper "Do You
Believe?" lying on a display case.
Popov also received a fine of 10,000 Roubles under Administrative Code
Article 5.26, Part 4 on 21 May 2025 at Armavir District Magistrate's Court
No. 4. He appealed unsuccessfully Armavir City Court on 15 July 2025, and
at the 4th Cassational Court on 15 October 2025.
Judge Cherninsky decided that Popov had "failed to provide evidence
demonstrating that the violations committed had been rectified or that they
were objectively impossible to rectify", and his objections were "based on
an incorrect interpretation of substantive law and do not correspond to the
factual circumstances of the case".
"Under these circumstances, the court concludes that the prosecutor's
demands to prohibit the administrative defendant's activities are justified
until the circumstances that served as the basis for the prohibition are
rectified".
Forum 18 asked Armavir City Court on 24 October 2025 why it had upheld the
prosecutors' request to prohibit the church's activities, and whether the
church would be able to resume operations if it submits notification of its
existence. Forum 18 had received no response by the end of 4 November (a
public holiday).
Krasnodar Region: Tuapse court bans church's activities
On 22 September 2025, Tuapse City Court ruled that the activities of the
Council of Churches Baptist community in Tuapse should be prohibited until
it submitted notification of its existence to local Justice Ministry
authorities.
Tuapse Inter-District Prosecutor's Office registered its administrative
lawsuit on 21 August 2025 – as in other such cases, "on behalf of an
undefined circle of persons", according to the court website – after
carrying out an inspection of "compliance with legislation on freedom of
conscience and religious associations" by the church and its
representative, Pastor
Anatoly Mukhin.
According to the written court decision, seen by Forum 18, the local
Federal Security Service (FSB) branch informed the Prosecutor's Office on
10 June 2025 of "the systematic conduct of illegal missionary religious
events in the building of the House of Prayer located at 62 Bogdan
Khmelnitsky Street .. involving residents of Krasnodar Region and
neighbouring regions, including minors and missionaries from foreign
countries (approximately 200 people)".
The Krasnodar Region Office of the Justice Ministry confirmed on 15 July
that it had received no notification of the beginning of the church's
activities.
Since the church "practices religious worship", Judge Vitaly Koshevoy
noted, "its activities affect the rights of an indefinite number of
persons".
"At the time of filing this lawsuit, the violations reflected in the suit
have not been corrected", the judge concluded. The church "violates the
rights of an indefinite number of persons (whose number is constantly
changing) and also violates the interests of the Russian Federation, as the
religious group operates in violation of Russian law".
The Tuapse church has been implicated several times in administrative
prosecutions for "unlawful missionary activity", according to court
records.
Tuapse Magistrate's Court No. 112 first fined Pastor Mukhin 5,000 Roubles
on 27 March 2017 for holding a worship service and handing out the
newspaper "Do You Believe?" to attendees without having submitted
notification of his religious group's activities. He was fined 5,000
Roubles again on 24 July 2024 at Tuapse City Court for sharing his beliefs
on the internet, which allegedly resulted in two non-members attending a
service. The 4th Cassational Court overturned this ruling on 17 February
2025, however, because cases under Administrative Code Article 5.26, Part 4
should be heard in magistrates' courts.
On 19 February 2025, Tuapse Magistrate's Court 112 fined Mukhin and
Artashes Melkonyan (https://www.forum18.org/archi
5,000 Roubles each for preaching at a worship service attended by a witness
who said that a woman at a bus stop had given him a copy of "Do You
Believe?" and invited him to the church. On 1 April 2025, Anatoly Dvoranin
also received a 5,000-Rouble fine for his involvement in the same service.
On 12 March 2025, Bryukhovetskaya District Magistrate's Court fined Sergey
Timoshchuk 5,000 Roubles for having preached by invitation at the Tuapse
church. Timoshchuk is a pastor in the Council of Churches Baptist community
in the Krasnodar Region village of Bryukhovetsaya, some 250km north of
Tuapse.
"During the service on 12 January 2025, two unidentified young men present
at the gathering secretly attempted to make audio and video recordings",
the Council of Churches Intercession Department stated on 23 March
(https://telegra.ph/Soobshchen
Police later visited the church and asked Timoshchuk to write a statement.
Timoshchuk "explained that he was preaching in his friends' private home
and had spoken exclusively about faith in Jesus Christ, which is permitted
by the Russian Constitution", according to the Intercession Department. The
police report, however, "unfoundedly stated that he had preached the
doctrine of the [Council of Churches Baptists] to D.S. Tyurin and A.V.
Kolesnikov, who are not members of this religious group, and also
distributed the newspaper 'Do You Believe?'". Timoshchuk denied having
spoken to the men or given them newspapers.
Forum 18 asked Tuapse City Court why it had upheld the prosecutors' request
to prohibit the church's activities, and whether the church would be able
to resume operations if it submits notification of its existence. Forum 18
had received no response by the end of 4 November (a public holiday).
Another church in court: Blagoveshchensk
On 13 November, Blagoveshchensk City Court in the Russian Far East is due
to consider a civil lawsuit brought by prosecutors seeking to ban the
activities of the Council of Churches Baptist church in the city.
The City Prosecutor's Office, the Amur Region branches of the FSB and
National Guard, and Emergencies Ministry personnel carried out an
"inspection of the legality of the use of the house of prayer" on 27 May
2025, and prosecutors lodged their civil suit on 11 June
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
The court has restarted proceedings twice in order to add third parties to
the case (these now include Amur Region Emergencies Ministry, Amur Region
FSB, and Amur Region National Guard) on 5 August and 30 September.
Unsuccessful appeals: Krasnodar Region, Mari El Republic
Council of Churches Baptist churches already subject to bans on their
activities have repeatedly appealed against the court rulings, invariably
unsuccessfully. Once a court decision enters legal force, a church is at
risk of being sealed by bailiffs if the community does not cease its
activities. So far, only one church – in Kurganinsk – is known to have
been sealed (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Belorechensk District Court banned the activities of the Council of
Churches Baptist church in the village of Rodniki on Christmas Eve, 24
December 2024. The ruling came into force on 3 April 2025
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Gordiyenko appealed unsuccessfully at Krasnodar Regional Court. On 29
October 2025, the 4th Cassational Court in Krasnodar also upheld the
ruling. Church members continue to meet for worship.
On 24 July 2025, Yoshkar-Ola City Court upheld prosecutors' request
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
activities of the city's Council of Churches Baptist church prohibited. The
lawsuit named four church members – Viktor Araslanov and Svetlana
Araslanova (in whose house the congregation meets), Ferdinand Gayfullin,
and Anatoly Chendemerov – as respondents in the case. They appealed
unsuccessfully at the Supreme Court of Mari El Republic on 23 October 2025
– the ban is therefore now in force.
The Council of Churches Baptist church in Kurganinsk remains sealed off,
and its congregation continues to meet regularly outside the building.
On 29 August 2025, the Russian Supreme Court rejected without consideration
Pastor Aleksandr Chmykh's appeal against the ruling banning the church's
activities (Kurganinsk District Court issued the original decision on 6
September 2024; Pastor Chmykh challenged this unsuccessfully at Krasnodar
Regional Court on 26 November 2024 (after which the decision entered legal
force), and again at the 4th Cassational Court on 7 May 2025).
On 15 September 2025, Kurganinsk District Court refused the administrative
lawsuit brought by Viktor Kovalev, who owns the church building, against
the Kurganinsk bailiffs, attempting to have their actions in sealing the
building declared unlawful. Kovalev lodged an appeal against this decision
on 9 October, according to the District Court website. (END)
More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Russia
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
For background information see Forum 18's Russia religious freedom survey
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
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