Case History
In October 2025, investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against two residents of the town of Uyar, Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov. Their homes were searched, after which a court ordered that the elderly men be taken into custody. In February 2026, another man, Ivan Starikov, was placed in a pre-trial detention center but was soon transferred to house arrest. The investigation interpreted the holding of peaceful worship services as organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it.