On August 29, 2025, after 751 days spent under various forms of restriction of freedom—house arrest, prohibition of certain actions, imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center and in a penal colony—Oksana Chausova was released. Her husband, Dmitriy, also convicted for his faith, could not meet her, as he is still under restrictions.
Looking back, Oksana recalls that the living conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center were not easy. The cell was so dirty that she had been cleaning it for days. In addition, it was so cold there that she had to wear warm clothes and even sleep in a jacket. Later, when Oksana was transferred to Penal Colony No. 6 in the Oryol Region, she faced a different kind of difficulty—bullying and pressure from other prisoners. "I didn't expect this," she admitted. "Intellectually, I understood that objectively nothing particularly bad had happened, but I could not hold back my emotions, I cried all the time."
The Chausovs noted that the separation was the most difficult test that the persecution brought. "For a long time, I could neither correspond nor see my husband," Oksana recalls. "The first meeting took place at the joint court only almost five months after the arrest. Oh, what a meeting it was . . . And then again two months of complete silence. I can't describe this pain." Dmitriy added: "When we went to court, we had a small opportunity to find out how each other was doing. When I saw Oksana, I was happy—it was a support for me."
Prayer, comforting words from the Bible, as well as the support of her husband and fellow believers helped Oksana to withstand the difficulties. "Handing over food and necessary things is a lot of work. We really appreciate those who spent their time and energy taking care of us," the couple said.
Persecution for faith is part of the history of Oksana Chausova's family: in Soviet times, her grandfather spent six years in a high-security correctional labor colony. Despite the difficult trials, he remained true to his convictions. Oksana cherishes this legacy and often imagines how proud her grandfather would be of her resilience and loyalty if he could learn about her trials.
The Leninskiy District Court of Kursk sentenced the Chavusovs in December 2024—they received two and a half years in prison. A few months later, the court of appeal commuted the sentence, reducing the term of imprisonment by 8 months. Dmitriy was released in the courtroom, as he had fully served his sentence in the pre-trial detention center.
