"We Prayed and Discussed the Bible." In Komsomolsk-on-Amur 10 Believers Were Given Suspended Sentences from 2 - 6 Years

On October 1, 2025, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses from Khabarovsk Territory were convicted at the same time. "The charge for extremism is based on the testimony of interested persons and the assumptions put forward by them, which are not confirmed by evidence," said one of the defendants expressing the collective position.

Judge Aleksandr Sokolov gave suspended sentences of 6 years to Mikhail Dorofeev, Nikolay Kovadnev and Radion Shitov and 2 years to Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey and Ulita Sachnev, Svetlana Zharkova, Marina Voytko and Ivan Nikitin. 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 Dorofeev, 60, needs heart surgery and sometimes it was difficult for him to attend hearings. Ulita Sachneva, 71, suffered a stroke, and her husband Sergey, 74, is suffering 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 problems with my vestibular system." Nevertheless, the believer remains positive: "All difficulties are temporary. It would be outrageous to waste precious time getting depressed and complaining!"

As a result 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: "Really, Radion? What? We know what you're like!" They provided the court with positive character references, pointing to numerous awards, diplomas and Radion winning a teaching 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 focus too much on the prosecution, you get anxious. Therefore, I try to help others in any way I can. This distracts me from my problems and gives me joy."

Besides the prosecution, Nikolay Kovadnev, 65, experienced yet another personal tragedy. After the search the health of his wife, who was suffering from cancer, deteriorated rapidly and she died two months later. "The very next day, my friends brought me food and offered to help with the funeral arrangements," Nikolay recalls. "I really needed their calls and attention at that time."

People who do not share their religious views stand up for the believers. Radion Shitov's childhood friend supported him emotionally and even promised to pay the fine (should he be fined), and a neighbor regularly assured him whenever they met, 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 the charge for organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization, they stated: "We sang religious songs, prayed and discussed the Bible."