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Samvel Babaian
Biography
Resident of Samara. On 16 September 2024, he was detained and sent to custody on 18 September on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation. The reason was Babaian's alleged involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: holding meetings and worship services, and attracting new supporters.
On the day of the arrest, a police officer threatened Babaian's 17-year-old son, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia portal. The teenager, along with his mother, was detained the same day and taken to the local department of
Resident of Samara. On 16 September 2024, he was detained and sent to custody on 18 September on charges of organising activities of an extremist organisation. The reason was Babaian's alleged involvement in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Representatives of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles solely for religious activities: holding meetings and worship services, and attracting new supporters.
On the day of the arrest, a police officer threatened Babaian's 17-year-old son, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia portal. The teenager, along with his mother, was detained the same day and taken to the local department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs separately from his parents. The police officer stated that the teenager would receive a real sentence in a colony if he did not incriminate his relatives.
On 17 October 2025, Babaian was sentenced to seven years in a general regime colony, despite his serious illnesses.