Forum18: Russia Wanted List

Forum 18 (Oslo), dated 12 November 2025 and by-lined Felix Corley and Victoria Arnold, reports that Russia’s Interior Ministry Federal Wanted List includes at least 45 individuals facing criminal charges for exercising freedom of religion or belief. The document reports the breakdown: 4 opponents of Russia’s war on religious grounds; 7 Muslim Nursi readers; 15 Jehovah’s Witnesses from Russia; 4 from Russian-occupied Crimea; 4 wanted by Belarus; 3 by Kazakhstan; 2 by Tajikistan; and 6 by Uzbekistan. Most recently added is exiled Orthodox journalist Kseniya Luchenko, who runs a Telegram channel outside Russia and was charged in September 2025 under Article 207.3 for allegedly spreading false information on the Russian armed forces. The article reports that Interpol told Forum 18 it has applied heightened supervision of Russia since March 2022, and that Russia was known to have obtained three Interpol Red Notices (Timur Atadzhanov 2018; Ashurali Magomedeminov 2020, withdrawn 2022; one in 2020 against a follower of another faith). Under “People wanted by Tajikistan” the report names two exiled human rights defenders and journalists — Rustamjon Saiburkhonovich Joniyev (born 1974) and Anora Badilzamonovna Sarkorova (born 1974), a married couple — who have documented Tajik regime violations, including against Ismaili Muslims in Mountainous Badakhshan. Sarkorova is quoted from her February 2024 comment to Forum 18. Internal sources cited: Mediazona’s published Wanted List (February 2024 and September 2025 updates), HRW, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Interpol General Secretariat, Rosfinmonitoring.