MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Security officials conducted large-scale raids in Moscow and the Moscow Region as part of a criminal investigation into organizing and participating in the activities of the extremist Jehovah’s Witnesses group (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), detaining five suspects, a source in the security services told TASS.
"Raids were carried out at the residences of suspects involved in organizing and participating in the activities of the Jehovah’s Witness organization during operational and investigative activities in Moscow and the nearby Lyubertsy. Five suspects were apprehended, and they are currently under investigation," the source said.
According to the source, during the raids, foreign passports, electronic devices, flash drives, hard drives, notebooks, and other crucial evidence for the preliminary investigation were seized from all individuals implicated in the case.
The activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses were prohibited by the Russian Supreme Court in April 2017.