Russian court confiscates 123 Jehovah’s Witnesses properties

A Moscow court confiscated 123 real-estate assets belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses and transferred them to the Russian state, a move that sharpens the pressure on a religious group already banned in Russia as an extremist organisation in 2017.

Moscow’s court service said the seizure covered property in the Russian capital and included residential and commercial buildings. The ruling adds a hard asset dimension to a campaign that has already seen local congregations dissolved, adherents prosecuted and property linked to worship and organizational activity taken out of the group’s control.

The practical effect goes well beyond symbolism. Real-estate seizures strip Jehovah’s Witnesses of places to gather, store records, maintain community ties and operate legally within the framework that remains available to other institutions. When the state takes buildings and land, it can break the physical infrastructure that supports worship and administration, making it harder for the group to survive as an organized religious community.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have said they are a peaceful Christian denomination and argue that Russia’s treatment of them violates freedom of religion and association. The 2017 ban provided the legal basis for a broader crackdown that has continued through court rulings and enforcement actions against property and congregational activity. The latest confiscation shows that the state is still using formal legal channels to widen that pressure.

The Moscow decision also carries implications beyond Jehovah’s Witnesses. By moving 123 assets into state ownership, Russian authorities signaled that an extremism designation can be used not only to criminalize activity but also to dismantle the material base of a disfavored group. For religious minorities watching Moscow’s enforcement of these laws, the ruling is another reminder that property, worship space and organizational survival can all be targeted at once.