Father of Four from Vyselki Given Suspended Sentence for His Faith. The Number of Convicted Jehovah's Witnesses in the Village Has Reached 16

On July 8, 2026, Judge Ruslan Teplukhin of the Vyselkovskiy District Court handed down yet another guilty verdict in a case against one of Jehovah's Witnesses. For participating in meetings for worship, Sergey Nazarov, 51, was given a 2-year suspended sentence.

The believer has a large family — the couple raised four children. Their eldest has a severe disability and is dependent on his parents. The young man's condition worsened sharply after a search of their home in 2022 — he spent 3 months in hospital. During the investigation, Sergey was under a recognizance agreement, which also made it difficult for him to care for his son, as visits to the doctor required traveling to a neighboring district.

Sergey has spent almost his entire life in Vyselki. He worked in construction. After the criminal prosecution started, it was difficult for him to find work. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Sergey said that during this difficult period, relatives and friends supported him. "They listened to me and gave me advice, for which I am very grateful," the believer said. "Many came from other villages and cities, made sacrifices, and tried to help both with words and deeds. That meant a lot."

Court proceedings began in September 2025. Nazarov pleaded not guilty to extremism. "There are no victims in this case. I am being prosecuted for my faith. I follow Jesus Christ's example in living peaceably with others and not rebelling against those in authority," he said.

All cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Vyselki, including Sergey Nazarov's, follow a single pattern: they are based on video recordings of meetings for worship, testimony from a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor, and the conclusion of religious expert Pavel Boyko. In the village, which has a population of only about 20,000, 19 believers are under criminal prosecution, 16 of whom have already been convicted.