Court in Crimea Sent a Fourth-Generation Jehovah's Witness to Penal Colony for Six Years

Viktor Ursu's great-grandfather, grandfather and father have been persecuted for their faith for decades. Now Viktor himself was sent to a penal colony for 6 years. Judge of the Dzhankoy District Court Yelena Nikolayeva announced the verdict on September 8, 2025. A believer, 60, was taken into custody in the courtroom.

"I am not a criminal and not an extremist," Victor Ursu said. "I have been living in Dzhankoy for more than 50 years, I have been working as a milling machine operator at one enterprise for 40 years. I take care of my parents." Ursu's lawyer noted: "I would describe him as a very kind person from the working intelligentsia. He has excellent references from the employer, who was not afraid to provide documents to the court that the company needs him as a specialist."

In July 2023, law enforcement officers searched Victor Ursu's house. The man was placed in a temporary detention center for 12 days, and then under house arrest for a year. In order not to accidentally violate the restrictions established by the court, Victor fenced off the permitted area near his private house with orange tape. Victor's obedience and goodwill earned the respect of the Federal Penitentiary Service. One of the guards said: "If all the prisoners did this, there would be no problems in our work." Almost all the time of house arrest, Viktor was forbidden to communicate with his wife, Marina, with whom they have been married for more than 30 years. She recalls: "We understood each other by the look."

The trial lasted just under a year. During this time, the court listened to audio recordings of two religious meetings, where the topics of kindness and support were discussed, and also watched 12 hours of videos on biblical themes. A secret witness under the pseudonym Gromov confirmed that Ursu did not call for violence, did not show aggression and did not encourage violation of the law.

At each court hearing, Viktor was supported by dozens of people. The believer's elderly parents came 90 kilometers away for all hearings, even if they were not allowed to be present in the courtroom. In such cases, they sat at the entrance on folding chairs, which Viktor's father, Aleksandr, brought in his car. These trips were not easy for the parents—the believer's mother moves on crutches, and it was necessary to climb high slippery steps to the courthouse. The presence of his parents meant a lot to Viktor: "Although they couldn't change anything, I knew they were on my side. Moral support is very important."

In Crimea, 32 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been subjected to religious repression, 13 of whom are imprisoned for a term of 6 years or more.