Almost 4,600 Jehovah's Witnesses operate in Croatia, and according to official data for the community for 2025, there were 4,595 members in the country who actively participate in preaching. The average number of active preachers during the year was 4,560, and they are organised into 56 congregations. 7,014 people gathered at the annual commemoration of Christ's death.
Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religious community that believes in Jehovah as the only God. They consider Jesus Christ to be God's Son, but do not accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. They do not celebrate Christmas, Easter or birthdays, do not participate in politics or wars, and are known for their door-to-door preaching. They are also particularly known for refusing blood transfusions.
This year, the community changed its rules and allowed believers to decide for themselves on the acceptance of individual blood components. Under the new rules, members can decide for themselves whether to accept certain blood components, such as plasma, red blood cells and platelets, in medical and surgical procedures. The ban on whole blood transfusions remains in force.
The change to the long-standing stance on blood was announced on 18 September by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, the central leadership of the religious community based in Warwick, USA. The new interpretation, as explained by international spokesperson for Jehovah's Witnesses Paul Gillies, is based on the fact that the Bible speaks of abstaining from blood, but not from its individual components. The ban on transfusions was introduced in 1945 and was based on an interpretation of biblical passages that call on believers to abstain from blood.
The change came just 23 days after the death of 26-year-old Isaac Valdez, who suffered an epileptic seizure in a library in August. During the seizure, he hit his head on the floor and sustained bleeding in the brain. Doctors assessed that he needed emergency surgery involving a blood transfusion to save his life. Isaac was a Jehovah's Witness and had a 'No Blood' card with him, and his family decided to respect his wish. The young man died on 26 August 2026, after doctors switched off the machines that were keeping him alive.
Isaac's twin brother Jacob Valdez told the BBC that he believes his brother might still be alive had the change been made earlier. He said he was angry that the community had insisted for decades on rules that, in his opinion, could have cost human lives. According to estimates from a medical study published in 2016, around 1,100 Jehovah's Witnesses a year worldwide died after refusing treatment that involved a blood transfusion.
