Biography
Pensioner Zareta Ortanova faces criminal prosecution because of her faith. The search and interrogations undermined the health of the believer.
Zareta was born in April 1960 in the village of Khamidiye in the Terek district of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. Her father died when she was 28 years old. At first, the mother was against her daughter's religious views, but later relented and began to treat them with respect, just like Zareta's older brother and sister.
During her school years, Zareta played in the volleyball team. Since childhood, she loves to read. Zareta graduated from the Nalchik vocational school with a degree in cook-waiter and has the 4th category. She also took courses as a telecom operator, after which she worked at the Main Post Office in her specialty. Later, Zareta worked as a painter at a factory and as a cleaner of the offices of the Maisky RUS (district communications center), where she met her husband.
In 1983, Zareta got married. Her husband has been working as a cable solder at Maysky RUS for over 40 years. He loves fishing and building houses. In a happy marriage, the couple raised three children - two sons and a daughter, who now lives with her family in another city. The children respect their mother's religious views.
Zareta was touched by what the Bible says about the resurrection of the dead, about the meaning of life and about paradise conditions on earth in the future. In August 1996, she was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The criminal prosecution and search had a negative impact on Zareta's health: she suffers from insomnia, she lost her appetite, and she even had to take specialized drugs.
Zareta's relatives are genuinely perplexed why they are persecuting honest and decent people. They add, "What did they do?"