The Court Refused to Early Release 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya From the Colony, Despite Her Serious Illness

On October 18, 2021, the Ust-Abakan District Court of the Republic of Khakassia refused to release 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, convicted of her faith, from the colony. The assigned term of imprisonment for the believer expires in January 2023.

In June 2021, Valentina filed a petition for release from serving her sentence on the basis of Article 81 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Release from punishment due to illness." Baranovskaya's defense provided the court with a medical report confirming the diagnosis.

Back in the summer of 2020, Valentina was diagnosed with cerebral infarction. Despite this, after the verdict was passed, the woman was placed in the Detention Center No. 1 of Abakan, where she spent about four months.

The elderly believer's lawyer appealed to various authorities to draw attention to the situation of the sick woman in the remand prison.

In June 2021, Valentina was transferred to a colony to serve a 2-year sentence. After additional examinations, she was prescribed the necessary medications. “The attending physician visited Valentina in the colony and issued his opinion. The administration of the colony agreed with him, they give her everything that is prescribed, they treat her every day. The therapist and the head of the medical unit treat her well. The treatment is good for her,” the lawyer told the believer.

Meanwhile, Valentina's son Roman Baranovskiy is in correctional colony No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Trans-Baikal Territory, where he will have to spend about 5 and a half more years just because he did not give up his faith in Jehovah God.