Court Ordered Pensioner From Kovrov, 72, to Pay Fine for Believing in God

On March 25, 2025, the judge of the Kovrov City Court, Artem Ozhev, sentenced Oleg Sakun—the pensioner was fined 250,000 rubles for participating in peaceful meetings for worship.

The believer said: "Since February 2021, our family has faced searches and interrogations. My wife Valentina and I were already elderly at that time, and these events had a very strong impact on our health. Due to emotional shock, the couple developed diabetes. At the end of 2021, we fell ill with coronavirus, my wife died of complications: as the doctor said, health was weakened due to the stress suffered and the body could not cope with the disease. In August 2023, a criminal case was opened against me."

In May 2024, the case went to court. According to the prosecutor, Oleg Sakun continued the activities of the legal entity liquidated by the court, simply professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He requested a fine of 350,000 rubles for him. The believer, in turn, gave the example of a factory for sewing outerwear, which was a legal entity, but went bankrupt and ceased operations. He asked the court: "Can it be concluded that former factory workers cannot sew clothes for personal needs or the needs of other people?"

In his final plea, Oleg Sakun said: "I am 72, I could not even think that just because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I would be put on the same level with terrorists and extremists."