On February 22, 2026, four preachers who are members of the International Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists were holding a service in a private home in Russia when they were surprised by the intrusion of an assistant prosecutor accompanied by three security agents. The authorities waited for the religious service to end and then arrested Ivan Moshechkov, Mikhail Dresvyannikov, Anton Guberbernov, and Farhat Aitov, four brothers in Christ whose only crime was gathering to worship God in a private space. The case was reported by the ICC (International Christian Concern) in May 2026.
Russia has significantly intensified its repression of independent evangelical communities in recent years, especially those that refuse to register with the government or that maintain ties with international organizations. Russia's anti-extremism laws, expanded in 2017 with the so-called "Yarovaya Laws," prohibit evangelism activities in unauthorized spaces, including private residences. Independent Baptist groups and Jehovah's Witnesses have been the main targets of these laws, with hundreds of believers imprisoned, fined, or subjected to criminal proceedings in recent years.
The case of the four Baptist preachers reflects a growing trend: the Russian State treats unregistered evangelical practice as subversive activity, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine, in which any connection with Western organizations is treated as a potential threat to national security. International religious rights organizations, such as Forum 18, document hundreds of cases of believers fined, interrogated, or imprisoned for religious activities considered routine in democratic countries.
Pray for Ivan Moshechkov, Mikhail Dresvyannikov, Anton Guberbernov, and Farhat Aitov, that they would be released quickly and that their faith would be strengthened through this trial. Intercede for the independent Baptist Church in Russia, which faces growing pressure without the protection of international organizations or of the State itself. Pray that the government agents who persecute believers would be touched by the testimony of those they arrest, and that the gospel would keep advancing in Russia despite all repression.
