Yet Another one of Jehovah's Witnesses Expelled from Russia. Prior to That Andrzej Oniszczuk Served a Suspended Sentence

Andrzej Oniszczuk is a 57-year-old citizen of Poland who was convicted in Russia for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. On June 3, 2026, he completed his sentence; however, the authorities ordered him to leave Russia within 10 days. For the next 8 years, the believer is prohibited from entering the country.

Andrzej spent half his life — nearly 30 years — in Kirov, Russia. There, he married Anna, started his own business, and made friends. Now, Andrzej and his wife have been forced to return to his homeland. For Anna, leaving was a difficult decision, since her relatives remain in Russia.

The prosecution of Andrzej began in October 2018. The believer spent almost a year in a pretrial detention center. During that time, he was prohibited from any communication with his wife — even by phone, since she was a witness in the case. "Throughout that whole period, we could not communicate; we saw each other only four times in court — twice via videoconferencing. For me, it was a difficult trial, because Andrzej is the closest person to me, and we have never been apart for so long," Anna recalls.

For singing religious songs and discussing the Bible, the court in Kirov gave Andrzej a 6.5-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period, during which he was required to report to the authorities weekly and not leave the city. On June 9 of this year, the Migration Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Kirov Region issued a decision prohibiting him from entering the Russian Federation.

In October 2025, the European Court of Human Rightsrecognizedthe prosecution of Oniszczuk and 27 of his fellow believers as a violation of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, emphasizing that it "did not pursue any legitimate aim or 'pressing social need.'"

Had Andrzej and his wife stayed in Russia, they would have remained at risk of new reprisals for their beliefs. Many believers areprosecuted repeatedly; and often members of their families are also subjected to persecution. At least190 Jehovah's Witnesses under prosecutionhave at least one relative who has become the subject of a criminal case on similar charges.