Biography
Petr Zhiltsov was a witness in the criminal case against Taras Kuzo. In July 2021, he himself was detained, spent two days in a temporary detention facility and almost a year under house arrest. In March 2023, the believer was sentenced to 6 years in prison and taken into custody in the courtroom. A year later, the cort of appeal overturned the verdict, sending the case back for a new trial.
Petr was born in August 1987 in Yalta (Crimea). He has an elder sister. Their mother has worked all her life at a construction site and is already retired.
As a child, Petr was fond of football. After school, he got a job in a carpentry shop, and later worked as a laborer at a music school. Up to criminal prosecution, he worked as a repairman at Yalta Heating Networks. In his free time, he likes to walk in the forest and by the sea.
Petr believed in God from childhood and during his studies at school he could not agree with the theory of evolution. He recalls, "The first thing I liked about the Bible was the beautiful promises of God and the prophecies that I saw fulfilled." As he began to associate with Jehovah's Witnesses, he noticed that they treated each other with genuine love. At divine services, he met many of his acquaintances who previously led an asocial lifestyle, but with the help of the Bible they were able to completely change. This convinced Petr of the validity of Bible principles. At the age of 18, he decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Due to criminal prosecution, Petr's mother lost her son's care and support for a long time. Additional responsibilities fell on her shoulders, which undermined the woman's health. Relatives who did not share Petr's religious beliefs empathized with the believer.
In his final statement in court, Petr asked: "I am accused of continuing activities common to all Jehovah's Witnesses. But if this activity is purely religious, then why are my friends and I being persecuted for it?"