Believer in Kuban Given 2-Year Suspended Sentence. Court Convicts Viktor Spirichev

Ruslan Teplukhin, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court, announced his decision in the case of Sergey Spirichev on December 9, 2025. On the same day, a sentence was also handed down to his fellow believer, Sergey Dvurechenskiy. Both were given identical suspended sentences for reading the Bible and discussing it with friends.

"For me, extremism is unacceptable. I believe that violence breeds even more injustice. The Bible teaches not to repay evil with evil, but to overcome evil with good," Viktor said at the final hearing of the trial, which had lasted 2 years. "I feel grateful for the prayers of my brothers and sisters in faith, but most of all I am thankful to Jehovah God for helping me remain steadfast and not become embittered," Spirichev said.

The criminal case against Viktor was initiated by the Investigative Committee in May 2023 — a year after his home was searched. Due to the prosecution, he faced financial restrictions imposed by Rosfinmonitoring and was under a recognizance agreement until the verdict. "There are those I must care for: my wife Larisa (who has a disability), my father-in-law (Vladimir Kolesnikov, a widower, who is also being tried for his faith), and my parents. I am their only child left; my older brother died in 2018. These responsibilities are the cause of my concerns," Viktor explained.

In the Krasnodar Territory, 38 Jehovah's Witnesses aged 28 to 79 are facing criminal prosecution for holding joint meetings for worship, which, according to the ruling by the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, is not a crime.