"We Prayed and Discussed the Bible." Ten Believers Got From Two to Six Years Suspended in Komsomolsk-on-Amur

On October 1, 2025, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses from Khabarovsk Territory were convicted at once. "The accusation of extremism is based on the testimony of interested persons and the assumptions put forward by them, which are not confirmed by evidence," one of the defendants expressed his general position.

Judge Aleksandr Sokolov gave Mikhail Dorofeev, Nikolay Kovadnev and Radion Shitov 6 years suspended sentence, and Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey Sachnev and his wife Ulita, Svetlana Zharkova, Marina Voytko and Ivan Nikitin—2 years suspended each. The prosecutor requested up to 7 years in a penal colony for everyone.

Most of the defendants in this case are elderly people and people with poor health. The criminal prosecution left its mark on their condition. Mikhail Dorofeyev, 60, needs heart surgery, sometimes it was difficult for him to attend meetings. Ulita Sachneva, 71, suffered a stroke, and her husband Sergey, 74, suffers from heart failure. Irina Bondareva, 64, a widow, described her condition as follows: "I don't even leave the house on my own—I'm afraid of falling due to a disorder of the vestibular system." Nevertheless, the believer does not lose optimism: "All difficulties are temporary. Wasting precious time on despondency and complaints is outrageous!"

Because of the trial, some believers lost their jobs. Radion Shitov, 53, worked for 25 years as an educational psychologist in a kindergarten for children with disabilities. When he informed his colleagues about his dismissal, they exclaimed: "No, Radion, what are you? They provided positive characteristics for the court, pointing to numerous gratitude, diplomas and Radion's victory in the pedagogical competition.

Vasiliy Bondarev, 28, the youngest defendant in the case, was fired from the clinic, where he worked as a paramedic. But he does not despair: "When you get hung up on the persecution, you start to worry. Therefore, I try to help others in any way I can. It distracts me from my problems and gives me joy."

In addition to the persecution, Nikolay Kovadnev, 65, also experienced a personal tragedy. The health of the couple, who suffered from cancer, deteriorated sharply after the search, and she died two months later. "The next day, my friends brought me food and offered to help with the funeral," Nikolay recalls. "At that time, I needed their calls and attention."

People who do not share their religious views stand up for believers. Radion Shitov's childhood friend Radion Shitov supported him emotionally and even promised to pay the fine (if the sentence was appropriate), and the neighbor regularly assured him that she was ready to speak in court in his defense.

The defendants do not agree with the verdict of the Komsomolskiy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. In response to accusations of organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization, they stated: "We sang religious songs, prayed and discussed the Bible."