One of Jehovah's Witnesses with Serious Disease Aleksandr Seredkin Released From Penal Colony

On December 25, 2025, the Rubtsovsk District Court ruled to release Aleksandr Seredkin from the penal colony earlier but did not release him from additional punishment. He went out the same day. The man was behind bars for more than three years because of his faith, including two years in strict conditions of detention.

Over the past few months, the health of a 71-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Novosibirsk has deteriorated: he was tormented by pain, hypotension, and food was practically not digested. In the fall, the believer was sent for several examinations, which revealed that the man had stage II cancer, and he could not receive appropriate treatment behind bars on a general basis. Further examination showed that the situation was even more severe - stage IV cancer. The council recommended him to undergo prompt surgical treatment.

"Aleksandr has lost a lot of weight. With a height of 170 centimeters, he weighs 59 kilograms. But he is calm, says that he is not afraid, he fully relies on God," said the believer's lawyer. "He understands that you need to act quickly and you can't delay treatment."

In November 2022, the court sentenced Aleksandr to 6 years in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in organizational activities in public or religious associations, public or religious organizations for a period of 5 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.

"It is commendable that now the court has shown mercy and released Aleksandr. But if he hadn't been unfairly convicted, then perhaps he could have received help much earlier? Dozens of believers with disabilities are in a difficult situation in penal colonies and pre-trial detention centers. This poses a serious threat to their health and life," Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented on the situation.

Andrey Vlasov cannot take care of himself in places of detention, needs constant help and medical care. Boris Andreyev and Yevgeniy Stefanidin suffer from cancer. In total, about 80 people with dangerously poor health have already been prosecuted, 34 of them are people with disabilities. Several people in this category died during the prosecution or shortly after the verdict was announced.