For decades, the Jehovah s Witnesses have been viewed with suspicion in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin.
The Christian group is known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study, rejection of military service, and not celebrating national and religious holidays or birthdays.
Since the faith was outlawed in Russia, many Jehovah s Witnesses have been imprisoned in Russia and the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimean Peninsula.
According to the group, 45 Jehovah s Witnesses are currently in prison, of whom 10 were convicted of extremism and 35 are in pretrial detention.
In September 2019, Washington banned two high-ranking regional officers from Russia s Investigative Committee from entering the United States over the alleged torture of seven detainees who are Jehovah s Witnesses.