Vasiliy Meleshko Released After Serving His Term in a Penal Colony for His Faith in Jehovah

On July 12, 2024, Vasiliy Meleshko, 63, one of Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, was released from penal colony No.11 in the Krasnodar Territory. The believer served his sentence in full.

The criminal prosecution of Vasiliy Meleshko began in the spring of 2021, and in the fall of the same year, the Abinskiy District Court convicted Vasiliy in just two sessions - 3 years imprisonment. In fact, the believer spent a little more than 2 years and 9 months in the penal colony, but taking into account his time in pretrial detention, the sentence in terms of imprisonment is considered to be served. According to the verdict, Vasiliy's freedom will be restricted to some extent for one more year after his release from the penal colony.

Meleshko spent part of his term in the penal colony under strict conditions of detention, where the rights of prisoners are infringed more than usual. Several times he was transferred to a "prison within the colony" -- a cell-type room or a punishment cell. The believer's chronic illnesses were exacerbated, and he was treated in the prison hospital.

It was especially difficult for Vasiliy to endure the long separation from his wife, with whom he has lived for 42 years; never being apart for more than a week. Zoya Meleshko said: "It wasn't until nine months [after Vasiliy's detention] that we saw each other on a long visit and were finally able to hug. We couldn't hold back the tears and couldn't stop talking."

Due to the fact that Vasiliy was kept in strict conditions, the couple saw each other only once every four months, so the main method of communication was letters. "Vasiliy wrote very affectionate, tender letters, assuring me of his love," Zoya revealed.

The Abinskiy District Court has already sentenced eight Jehovah's Witnesses from the village of Kholmskaya to imprisonment. Four have been released after serving their sentences.