Biography
A peaceful resident of Simferopol, Dmitriy Zakharevich, who since childhood has been accustomed to living according to high standards of morality, was subjected to religious repression after his father-in-law Aleksandr Voronchikhin.
Since 2014, Dmitriy has been married to Irina, who shares his life position and moral foundations. The couple have been living according to biblical principles for many years and try to always treat other people with respect and kindness.
Due to criminal prosecution, Dmitriy spent more than 8 months under house arrest and was obliged to live at the place of registration with his relatives. He said: "My wife took care of my family. We couldn't spend as much time together as we used to."
Dmitriy is supported by friends who come even from other cities. He recalls: "After the court hearings, they greeted me with applause, hugged me, gave me gifts, cards, and flowers and sweets for my wife and mother. It's nice that such a large family is worried about you."
Case History
In November 2022, mass searches of believers took place in the Simferopol district of Crimea, as a result of which a criminal case was initiated. Aleksandr Voronchikhin was interrogated and a recognizance agreement was taken from him. The Investigative Committee accused him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, calling peaceful meetings for worship a crime. In August 2023, new searches took place in Armyansk, Simferopol and Saki, including at the homes of Voronchikhin’s son-in-law, Dmitry Zakharevich. He, as well as Aleksandr Kopylets, Ekaterina Demidova and several other Jehovah’s Witnesses became suspects in the case. Later, the cases of four believers were separated from their case into separate proceedings. Zakharevich and Kopylets spent more than 8 months under house arrest, after which they were released on their own recognizance. In November 2023, the case went to court, but was later returned to the prosecutor. After 7 months, the retrial of the case in court began.
