On April 29, 2026, a magistrate’s court in Kazan’s Kirovsky district, Russia, fined four members of the International Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists, Ivan Moshechkov, Mikhail Dresvyannikov, Anton Guberbernov and Farhat Aitov, for "illegal missionary activity". Each was ordered to pay 15,000 Russian rubles for holding a religious service in a private home. On February 22, an assistant prosecutor and three security officers entered the house during the service, waited for it to end and arrested those present.
The four believers belong to a community that refuses to register with the state, since registration would mean submitting the content of its preaching to government oversight. Article 5.26 of Russia’s Administrative Code, which criminalizes unregistered "missionary activity", has become an effective tool of religious repression since its adoption in 2016. Korean missionary Park Tae-yeon, arrested in January 2026 for immigration violations related to her evangelistic work, had her home confiscated and was fined.
These cases reflect a growing trend in Russia: authorities use seemingly neutral administrative laws to restrict the religious freedom of Protestant and evangelical minorities. In 2025, at least 34 cases of "illegal missionary activity" were brought in the first four months of the year alone. The environment for missionary work in the country continues to deteriorate, with arrests, fines and the closure of communities becoming routine.
Pray for the four believers in Kazan and for missionary Park Tae-yeon, asking God to strengthen them and to be glorified through their trials. Intercede for the repeal of Russian laws that criminalize worship in homes. Cry out for the advance of the gospel in Russia and for the protection of all pastors and missionaries serving in an increasingly hostile environment. May persecution lead to the Church’s growth rather than its retreat.
