“How Come Everyone Loves You?” — Olga Panyuta Completed Sentence for Her Faith

On April 10, 2026, Olga Panyuta, 66, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Primorye Territory, was released from prison, having been convicted for her faith under an article for extremism. Olga spent more than 3 years in a penal colony in a trial that began with raids in the town of Spassk‑Dalny in the autumn of 2018 and ended with prison terms for three believers.

Olga was born in 1959 in Nizhny Novgorod. She graduated from a technical college and worked as a kindergarten teacher and later as a social worker. She had already retired by the time of her arrest. Her husband, Vladimir, worked for many years on the railway. Together they raised two daughters and a son. Olga has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses since April 1996 — 30 years. It was for this religion that she and her fellow believers were deprived of their freedom.

After searches and detention, Olga spent almost a year under house arrest, followed by more than 3 years under a recognizance agreement. In February 2023, the court found her guilty of "involving others in the activity of an extremist organization" and sentenced her to 4.5 years in a penal colony. She was taken into custody directly from the courtroom and transferred to a pretrial detention center. Following an appeal, which reduced her sentence by 2 months, Olga was sent to a penal colony.

Prison conditions proved especially harsh given Olga's age. She recalled that the most difficult experience was when she was first placed in a punishment cell for 14 days. "It was cold. I was wearing only a dress. The window was open. To keep warm, I would sit on a narrow metal bench, tuck my legs under myself, and pull the hem of my dress over my knees. Sitting for a long time was very hard," she said. Later, Panyuta was transferred to strict detention conditions.

Her relations with the prison administration were peaceful and her relationships with other inmates were warm. "They called me 'Auntie Olya,' 'Olga Aleksandrovna,' (patronymic used to show respect — editor's note) and one young woman called me 'my dear granny,'" Olga recalled. According to her, even prison staff were surprised by how others treated her. One officer once asked her, "How come everyone loves you?"

Prayer, memories of life in freedom, and letters from around the world helped Olga cope with imprisonment. "They were the greatest support, flowing in like little streams. They were full of care, concern, humor, and stories — I felt as if I was traveling all over the world," she said, adding that the letters supported not only her but other prisoners as well.

The criminal case against Olga Panyuta is part of a broader campaign of prosecution against Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory. Other defendants in the same case, Aleksey Trofimov and Dmitriy Malevaniy, remain behind bars until October 2028 and April 2029, respectively.