A Moscow district court has ordered the immediate confiscation of residential and commercial properties connected to foreign organizations affiliated with Jehovah’s Witnesses, intensifying Russia’s long-running legal action against the religious movement.
The decision was handed down on Friday by Judge Galina Matlina of the Kuzminsky District Court, who ruled entirely in favor of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
She stated that the ruling would take effect immediately, allowing authorities to begin enforcing the seizure without delay.
Government Agencies Backed the Case
The hearing was attended by representatives from both the Prosecutor General’s Office and Russia’s Ministry of Justice, with the ministry supporting the prosecutors’ position throughout the proceedings.
None of the organizations named in the lawsuit, nor their legal representatives, appeared before the court.
Diplomatic representatives from the embassies of Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands were also present as observers.
According to one diplomat, their attendance was limited to monitoring the judicial process, and they declined to comment on the substance of the case.
Properties Across Multiple Regions Targeted
The lawsuit focused on eight foreign organizations associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Prosecutors requested the transfer of ownership of residential and commercial properties located in several Russian regions, covering a combined area of more than 11,000 square meters.
Those named in the case include religious organizations and foundations registered in Austria, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden, along with the denomination’s World Headquarters in the United States.
Russia’s Ministry of Justice participated in the proceedings as a third party.
Authorities Seek to Reverse Earlier Property Transfers
In addition to requesting the confiscation of the properties, prosecutors asked the court to invalidate numerous donation and property transfer agreements completed in 2016 and 2017.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the transactions were carried out by Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses organizations and affiliated foreign entities shortly before the religious group was dissolved in Russia.
Prosecutors argued that the transfers were intended to move assets beyond the reach of the Russian state before authorities assumed control of the organization’s remaining property.
Case Tied to Russia’s 2017 Ban
The latest court ruling is directly connected to the landmark 2017 decision by Russia’s Supreme Court, which declared the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia and its regional branches to be extremist organizations.
Following that ruling, the organizations were dissolved, and their remaining assets were transferred to state ownership.
Since then, Russian authorities have continued legal efforts involving the denomination’s activities and property holdings.
International Criticism Followed the Ban
Russia’s decision to outlaw Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist organization has drawn criticism from several governments and international observers over the years.
Among the countries raising concerns was the United States, which questioned Russia’s treatment of the religious denomination and expressed concern over the impact of the ban on freedom of religion and belief.
