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 the case of one of Jehovah's Witnesses. For participating in meetings for worship, Sergey Nazarov, 51, received 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 sharply worsened after a search of the home in 2022 — he spent 3 months in the 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 travel to a neighboring district.

Sergey has spent almost his entire life in Vyselki. He worked in construction. After the start of criminal prosecution, he encountered difficulties finding work. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Sergey said that during this difficult period, relatives and friends gave him support. "They listened to me, gave advice, for which I am very grateful," the believer noted. "Many came from other villages and cities, made sacrifices, and tried to help both with words and deeds. That is very valuable."

Court proceedings began in September 2025. Nazarov did not admit guilt in 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 religious expert conclusion of 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.