Andrey Stupnikov Released From Penal Colony — Legal Action for His Faith Has Already Gone on for 7.5 Years

"December is now my favorite month," said Andrey Stupnikov, anticipating his release. The long-awaited day came on December 15, 2025. He shared his first moments of freedom with his wife Olga and their friends, who last saw him outside prison about 4.5 years ago.

Andrey served his sentence in penal colony No. 5 in Kirovo-Chepetsk. During his imprisonment, Stupnikov was hospitalized twice. The believer described that period as one of the hardest. "Everything came at the same time," he said, "the most serious health problems and immense pressure from the prison staff. For two months they recorded all sorts of [concocted] violations, issued reprimands, and conducted additional searches in the cell." Andrey and those around him even found some of the fabricated penalties amusing: "Later, many joked that I was probably the only person who had never smoked but was reprimanded for 'smoking in a prohibited area.' We understood it was completely unfair, but we had to learn to react calmly."

Stupnikov worked in the sewing workshop 6 days a week. Andrey would get up between 4 and 5 a. m. to read the Bible, pray in peace and recover emotionally. Also, because he was sentenced under an article for a serious crime, the administration placed him under preventive monitoring as "liable to escape." This meant that he was checked every 2 hours, including at night.

Bible training and a sense of humor helped Andrey endure the hardships of imprisonment. He noted that it was important for him to behave confidently, "like a victor, not a victim." Over time, his conduct earned him respect from the administration and other inmates, who addressed him by his name and patronymic. One of them described Stupnikov as "a man with a capital M." The head of the colony often said to Andrey: "If Jehovah's Witnesses are working, there's no need to worry about the quality."

Andrey's prosecution also affected his wife. "We've been married for 32 years. During that time, we became like one and were never apart for long. Due to the separation, half of me seemed to stop existing. I was afraid I would give up. During the day, I tried to keep busy with various tasks, but evenings and nights I was tortured by loneliness," Olga Stupnikova said about that period of her life. The pain of separation was worsened by the thought that all correspondence with her imprisoned husband was censored. "Extended visits every 3 months were a great support for us," Olga recalls. "Only there could we talk about what was dear and important to us."

In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a total of 36 Jehovah's Witnesses are facing criminal prosecution; at present, 6 men remain behind bars, including elderly ones.