Starting in November 2026, foreign nationals in Russia could face mandatory administrative expulsion for violations related to religious activity. According to the Voice of the Martyrs organization, the new rules could affect even those who simply invite someone to a worship service or speak about their faith in a public place.
This was reported by the inVictory portal.
Voice of the Martyrs representative Hyun Sook Foley explains that previously, a foreign national found guilty of such violations could receive an administrative fine. Once the amendments take effect, the penalty will also include mandatory expulsion from the country.
According to her, courts in such cases will not be able to waive expulsion, even if the person has lived in Russia for many years or has family in the country.
The measures will affect not only foreigners who formally engage in missionary activity. For example, publicly discussing one’s faith or inviting a neighbor to church could result in liability if such actions are classified as illegal missionary activity.
The new rules, however, include an exception. Foreign nationals who have signed a contract and are serving in the Russian Armed Forces are not subject to administrative expulsion.
Earlier, we reported that since February 2022, religious communities in Russia have faced pressure. Priests have been defrocked for prayers for peace, ecclesiastical and secular courts have worked in tandem, and the state and church structures have jointly punished those who refuse to justify the war.
As previously reported, in June 2026 a court ordered the expulsion from Russia of a U.S. pastor for discussing religion and suggesting a prayer for Trump. After the meeting, someone reported the pastor to the police.
As LF reported, Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, who served for 15 years as chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, resigned. Sources in Russian Catholic circles have indicated that the authorities had pressed for a change in the leadership of Russia’s Catholics.
As LF reported, the Russian Ministry of Justice has required all religious organizations receiving foreign funding to publish reports. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements will result in penalties.
Earlier, we reported that U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman and Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, along with several other lawmakers, introduced the “Countering Russia’s War Against Faith Act.”
As LF reported, the Russian Orthodox Church is coordinating with the FSB in the persecution of anti-war clergy. Religious scholar and former editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate Sergey Chapnin published evidence of this in his book Religious Communities Under Pressure: Documenting Religious Persecution in Russia, 2022–2026.
