Samara Court Sentenced Seriously Ill Believer to Long Term in Penal Colony

On October 17, 2025, Samvel Babayan, 53, one of Jehovah's Witness from Samara, received a harsh sentence of 7 years of imprisonment. The believer has been imprisoned for his faith for over a year, despite his serious health condition.

"I haven't received much help [in detention] this year," Samvel mentioned in his final statement. "I sit in the cell all the time. There are no walks, there is nothing... In this state, if it were not for my faith, if it were not for support from outside, I would have died long ago." The believer was diagnosed with multiple diseases of internal organs, including a tumor. He experiences constant pain, especially due to problems with the spine. He described his condition at the time of his arrest as follows: "I just went to the clinic, to the oncology center, to the store - I could not do anything else. I didn't even go out to talk to people, as usual."

For a long time, Samvel could communicate with his wife only in court and through letters, they were forbidden to meet. "He has spent a lot of time with his son and now he is very sad. He really needs the support of his family, but he was deprived of it," said the believer's wife, Bella. She also talked about helping Samvel deal with the feeling of hopelessness in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center: "He reads the Bible with gusto, in 3 months he read it from cover to cover. And letters with words of encouragement and assurances of love help him to see that he is not alone." Samvel was also touched by the care of his friends, who were ready to stand in line all day long to make him a parcel to the pre-trial detention center, and also provided practical assistance to his family.

A criminal case against Babayan was opened in September 2024, and in May of the following year, the Kirovsky District Court of Samara began considering it. The court refused to take into account Samvel Babayan's state of health, despite his request to limit the number of sessions due to severe back pain. The prosecutor called this a delay in the process, and the court supported his position. In addition, during one of the hearings, the believer felt bad — an ambulance was called for him, but the hearing continued immediately after the examination by doctors. "When I encountered this system from the inside, I was very disappointed. But at the same time, I will not stop respecting authority. I will always respect and obey, because there is someone over everyone who will judge," Samvel described his attitude to the persecution.

Since 2017, Jehovah's Witnesses with serious illnesses have repeatedly received prison sentences for their faith, many of them are still in detention. Addressing the court, Babayan mentioned one of them, Valeriy Baylo: "My fellow believer, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, died in Krasnodar. There is still an investigation into why this happened. I don't understand why I should bring it to this?"