Vardan Zakaryan

On 24 November 2020, Zakaryan's flat was searched. He was hit in the head with a rifle butt, after which he was sent to the hospital. His relatives were not allowed to pass him food. On November 26, Zakaryan was discharged from the hospital and sent to a detention centre, where he was charged overnight with involvement in the activities of an extremist organisation in connection with his participation in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Members of this community are prosecuted under extremist articles of law solely for their religious activities: meetings, joint worship services, and attracting new supporters.

He is being asked to testify against his co-members. On 30 November, the court appointed him to house arrest. On 31 March 2023, Zakaryan was sentenced to four years and three months in a general regime colony.

On 13 October 2025, the believer was released from the colony. Immediately after that, he was placed in the centre for temporary detention of foreign citizens for further deportation from Russia to Armenia. On 16 October, he was deported.