Russia jails two elderly Jehovah's Witnesses on basis of spy testimony, group says

Two 74-year-old Jehovah's Witnesses were jailed in Russia this week on the basis of testimony from a spy who had infiltrated their meetings, a spokesman for the faith group said.

New York-based spokesman Jarrod Lopes said the two men, Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov from the city of Izhevsk, are the oldest of 175 Jehovah's Witnesses currently behind bars in Russia and Russia-annexed Crimea.

Russia banned Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017 as an "extremist organisation", and since then has prosecuted nearly 900 members of the faith, according to Lopes. Religious life in the country is dominated by the Russian Orthodox Church, which is championed by - and is loyal to - President Vladimir Putin.

Lopes said the latest trial, in which both defendants were sentenced to three years, was based on secret testimony from an informant using the pseudonym Lozhkin. 

"Lozhkin is part of a growing FSB network of undercover agents used to identify and prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses," Lopes said in a statement, referring to the FSB security service.

"Often these spies feign interest in studying the Bible, attend worship discussions for months or even years, secretly record conversations, and then provide deceptive testimony to secure convictions."

Lopes said at least 30 documented prosecutions of Jehovah's Witnesses had relied on the testimony of spies. 

Reuters