Belarus refused to extradite Jehovah’s Witness Oleg Lonshakov to Russia. He was released from jail

On October 14, the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus refused to extradite the 44-year-old Jehovah’s Witness Oleg Lonshakov to the Russian authorities. He was arrested and placed in SIZO No. 7, but later the measure of restraint was canceled. In 2020, a criminal case was opened against him in Russia under the article “organization of extremist activity” informs movement for human rights.

According to human rights activists, Lonshakov spent more than two weeks in prison. Declared by Russia on the interstate wanted list, he was detained on the morning of September 29 in Brest, where he has been living for over a year with a residence permit. Lonshakov spent two days in the IVS, after which the judge signed a decision on the election of a preventive measure in the form of placement in custody until November 8.

According to the organization “For Human Rights”, this is not the first time Belarus has released Jehovah’s Witnesses from Russia after being detained. In 2020, Nikolai Makhalichev was released from the city of Urai, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. He spent more than a month in a pre-trial detention center in the Vitebsk region.