One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Chelyabinsk Sentenced to 5.5 Years in Prison for His Faith in God

On May 12, 2025, Judge Yuliya Zhivodinskaya sentenced 49-year-old Andrey Shurygin, an overhead linesman from Chelyabinsk, to 5.5 years imprisonment. Reading and discussing the Bible with fellow believers is deemed as "organizing the activity of an extremist organization."

The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.

The criminal prosecution of Andrey Shurygin began with surveillance, searches and interrogations in June 2023. Due to the severe shock, the believer suffered a cardiac arrest. Andrey recalls: "During the search, the front door and balcony were damaged, there were many different thoughts and mixed emotions spinning round my mind. The investigator and officers wanted to obtain the passwords to our phones through intimidation, threats and persuasion. And the investigators said: 'Renounce God and live peacefully.'"

Over the past 8 months, the case has been considered in the Sovetskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, where another believer, 28-year-old Maksim Khamatshin, is on trial.

Shurygin's charge is based on covert video and audio recordings of meetings for worship. The defense pointed out, that neither the witnesses nor the expert confirmed the presence of extremism in the actions of the believer. Shurygin also reminded the court of the ruling of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, according to which meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses are not a crime in themselves. "The fact that the state prosecutor completely avoids mentioning these explanations, only confirms that he has no real arguments against meetings for worship being held," Andrey concluded.

The defense presented to the court documents confirming Shurygin's reputation as a respectable person: references from his work place, management company, neighbors, as well as certificates from the school where the defendant's two children study. However, the state prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for the believer.

In total, 11 criminal cases were initiated in the city of Chelyabinsk, including against the Suvorov couple. All cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated by Chepenko, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The European Court of Human Rights found the charges for extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia groundless.